
DDD]i717fl57A 



1 


1 


i 

















^ 


b 





SEQUEL 
TO 

EXPERIENCES OF A BOY 



By His Father's Son 



^^L-CZ<2JL4-^v\^ _ uy 



Baker Printing Co. 

Newark, N. J. 

1911 



n:>o 



Copyright, 1911 

by 

E. F. HARTSHORN 



©CI.A305309 

Mat 



These reminiscences are affectionately dedicated 
to his grandchildren 

BY THE AUTHOR 



SEQUEL 

TO 



Experiences of a Boy 



CHAPTER I. 

The narrative of the Experiences of a Boy closed 
with the words, ''His Hfe thereafter was the usual 
humdrum one that obtains on shore." That was in- 
tended ; but many events happened afterwards that 
it seemed advisable to record and in the following 
pages those happenings will be brought to the at- 
tention of those who may care to delve through this 
book. 

The landing of our friend in San Francisco was 
just before the end of the early period and before 
the city took on its cosmopolitan character, which 
occurred about the year 1882. At this time 'Frisco, 
as it was familiarly called, was a city of some im- 
portance, having about 160,000 people, 60,000 of 
these being Chinamen. A strange city, a distinctive 
city, with characteristics that made it a lovable city 
to those who were proud to call themselves Califor- 
nians. Life was lived in a free and easy manner 
that was abhorent to a few strait-laced individ- 



8 



uals who may have struggled in from the Far East ; 
but to the vast majority of strangers, the local 
color proved fascinating. 

Californians were so imbued with the glorious 
conditions that they were loud in their praises of 
their city, their country, and their climate. Their 
city was bound to rival New York in size ; their 
country had the richest soil in the world and the 
weather conditions were superb; they had the pret- 
tiest women and the healthiest children ; in fact, 
nothing could be uttered by a true Calif ornian too 
flattering for this earthly paradise. The remark 
was often made that you had only to tickle the earth 
with a hoe to raise anything that would grow else- 
where in the Tropic or Temperate Zones. The 
mines were rich in all the precious metals, and silver 
and gold being so accessible, why should they use 
paper money ? They did not, and when a tenderfoot 
would try to pass a bill, good everywhere else in the 
United States, he would be surprised at the indif- 
ferent manner with which it was refused. 

Their mountains were many and high. Their 
plains were level, wide and long, extending far be- 
yond the power of vision. A gentleman from Ver- 
mont^ in answer to a naturally warm description by 
a native while passing over one of these valleys, 
level as a bam floor, stated : 

"By gad! If I owned ten acres of it, I would 
build a hill on it." 



That remark proved that the tenderfoot did not 
thoroughly appreciate the grand possibiUties of this 
glorious country. 

On landing, our friend took up quarters in the 
What Cheer House, a popular resort of the period. 
He had a fair amount in gold coin. Instead of de- 
positing it with the clerk of the hotel, he rolled his 
waistcoat around it and placed the same under his 
pillow when retiring. Awakening out of sound 
slumber by his head moving, he noticed the gar- 
ment one quarter exposed, and giving a loud yell, 
sprang out of bed and followed a fleeing figure 
down the hall. The rascal escaped. Returning to 
the room which contained two beds, his fellow 
lodger was told the cause of the outcry. 

**A11 nonsense," was the reply; "you have only 
had a nightmare." 

Our friend knew otherwise, as he distinctly saw 
the fleeing figure. In contrast, the following event 
will prove that there was a difference between the 
city and country: 

A few days afterwards our friend got acquainted 
with an old Californian who suggested that they go 
up in the mountains to look up the possibilities of 
engaging in a speculation. They started in a stage 
coach and rode quite a distance, then proceeded on 
horseback until the edge of dark. After getting a 
feed in a wayside shack, they started to hoof it 
farther up the mountains to their destination. Ar- 



10 



riving at a so-called hotel, built of rough boards, 
they entered a barroom filled with miners in red 
shirts, with pantaloons stuffed in their cowhide 
boots, each with a revolver stuck in his belt. These 
men did not look like a Christian assemblage. 

The Californian went up to the barkeeper pro- 
prietor and told him that a room was wanted in 
which to turn in for the night. 

The barkeeper stated : ''That is all right. Go up- 
stairs and take the first room to the right." 

The strangers arrived in the room, which con- 
tained two beds and a small pine table. Our friend 
tried to shut the door, but the lock was broken and 
the door would not stay shut. He then took hold 
of the table and began to tote it to the door. 

The Californian shouted, ''What are you doing?" 

The reply came, "I am taking this table to hold 
the door shut. We both have some money and there 
is a terribly rough crowd below." 

The Californian fired back, "Leave the door open, 
it is a hot night and we want all the air we can get. 
If anybody was robbed here, there is not a man be- 
low that would not hunt these hills for days, if 
necessary, to catch the rascal and hang him." 

Nobody locked doors in the country at that time 
in California. All the miners would leave their 
shacks unfastened when they were absent. If a 
poor fellow came along hungry, he was welcome to 
take enough bacon, beans, etc., to satisfy his hun- 



ger, knowing that no other property would be 
touched. Robbery was tabooed for it meant quick 
death. Chinamen and Mexicans were occasionally 
caught robbing sluice boxes and other property, but 
the result did not require the attention of any priest 
or preacher, only occasionally the man with a spade 
to make a hole in the ground. 

California was then peopled by strong, virile men 
with manly characters, for only that class would 
have the energy to travel across the continent by 
ox-team, by the Isthmus, or around the Horn. They 
became rough men ; but their hearts were in the 
right place. If a man wanted to commit suicide all 
he had to do was to call another man a liar; but a 
man could travel amongst such men for moons, giv- 
ing no offence, as safely as he could in any other 
place on the earth. 

If California could have remained for several 
generations in its then isolated condition, it would 
have produced a race of men that the world would 
have been proud of; but its accessibility became 
easy when the railroad was built over the mountains, 
and then the lame, halt, and other unsuitables flooded 
in, changing the true, sterling, masculine methods of 
its population. No wonder Californians were pre- 
viously proud of their habitat and their fellow citi- 
zens. They have no reason to be so proud of their 
state now. 

Shortly after arriving in California, our friend 



attired himself in his glad clothes and went to visit 
a relative by marriage. Finding the house, he rang 
the bell, which was answered by a Chinaman, who, 
being asked if the lady was in, shut and locked the 
door. It was raining and there was no covering 
over the porch. To be treated so uncivilly was ex- 
asperating. When the Chinaman returned and 
opened the door our friend's foot was placed so that 
the heathen could not shut it again while he asked 
for a card. The stranger pushed the servant one 
side, entered the hall and sang out the name of the 
lady who appeared almost immediately looking over 
the banister. On being informed of her visitor's 
name, she gave a glad welcome and the visit proved 
a happy one. The lady was chided for the incivility 
of her servant, but she answered that green China- 
men could only be procured, and that they performed 
all the service in the households. She could not 
teach them the difference between a gentleman and 
the tramps, beggars, etc., that caused her so much 
trouble. 

These Chinamen overran all the employments. 
All the whites would say when offered any humble 
class of labor : ''That is Chinamen's work. It is be- 
neath me to accept." Labor was thus degraded. 
Therefore all the white boys and girls grew up con- 
demning employment and formed the hoodlum class 
so notorious in San Francisco. This hoodlum class 
was recruited from all grades of people. It in- 



13 

eluded the children from the highest to the lowest. 
They wore a distinctive class of clothes. While 
some were criminals^ the most of them were decent 
except for their dislike to any form of labor. The 
introduction of an alien race always produces this 
result and should receive the condemnation of all 
true patriotic Americans. 



CHAPTER II. 

It was the intention of our friend to spend a few 
weeks in 'Frisco, then ship around the Horn for 
home; but circumstances shaped themselves so that 
he did not return until the lapse of twenty years 
from the time of joining the whale ship. 

While roaming around the city, he noticed the 
sign of a printing office. Guided by curiosity to see 
how the familiar work was performed on the gold 
coast, he mounted the stairs and looked around. 
He came to a young man making ready a large 
wood engraving on a press. It was the outside 
cover title of a monthly printed in the establish- 
ment. The block was old, warped, and cracked 
down the centre. The operation was watched and 
it was soon noticed that no proper knowledge of the 



14 

work was shown. The young man got the job 
ready, showing all the imperfections of the cut. 
Our friend butted in. It was against his grain to 
see such faulty work. The man was told that his 
process was imperfect, and almost by force the 
stranger was allowed to tear off the tympan, take 
off the two soft rubber blankets, replacing them 
with a hard blanket, place on a fresh tympan, and 
then some cardboard was called for on which im- 
pressions were taken from which parts were cut 
out, pasted on the back of the cut as underlays, 
and then a print was made. The young man was 
told to show the proprietor the print for his O, K. 
The proprietor was astonished. He asked where 
the new cut came from, and when told it was the 
old cut, his curiosity caused him to come to the 
press. Observing the stranger with sleeves rolled 
up, he found out the culprit who was urged to 
immediately join the force. Our friend replied 
that he was only a visitor, expecting to ship for the 
East in a few days; but after considerable pres- 
sure, the coat Was hung up and the Eastern trip 
was delayed for many moons, so long, in fact, 
that our friend became a Californian. 

The first earthquake was noticed in this office. 
Our friend was working at the case when he felt 
a movement of everything. He noticed that all 
were running for the door, one man with one boot 
on and the other carried in his hand. The idea 



IS 

entered his head that a very heavy team was pass- 
ing, causing the shaking of the building; but as he 
was left alone he concluded to follow the others. 
The floor seemed to move up to his feet, wave like, 
so the latter part of his exit was more rapid than 
the first part. Tumbling down the stairs and see- 
ing all the people in the centre of the street, it was 
comprehended that the movement was in the earth. 
The experience was novel, and ever afterwards the 
faintest evidence of tremor would be recognized. 
There was little damage done. Some walls, chim- 
neys and partially constructed buildings fell down. 
The only one injured so far as learned, was an 
employee of the office who happened to pass a build- 
ing at the time of the shock from which he re- 
ceived a brick on his head that caused severe in- 
jury. The papers reported that the earth had 
opened a chasm back in Alameda. Our friend hired 
a horse the next day and rode over the country 
where the crack was reported. He found it was 
only a false newspaper story. 

San Francisco was built up from North Beach. 
The city had turned around completely when our 
friend arrived and was growing up Market street. 
A Mr. Meiggs had come to California in early 
days and began to speculate heavily. He built 
Meiggs' Wharf, thinking that would remain the 
centre and it did for a time ; but soon business left 
and it became dilapidated. Mr. Meiggs became 



i6 

involved and, to escape his creditors left by night. 
Arriving in Chile he began to build for the Chilean 
Government those astounding railways up the 
mountains, which at that time were considered the 
most difficult railroad engineering in the world. 
He made himself extremely wealthy and paid his 
San Francisco creditors principal and interest of 
his old debts. The carpenter, or ''Chips" as he was 
called on board the whaleship, where he was ship- 
mates with our friend, got employment with Meiggs 
as principal bridge builder and he also became 
quite wealthy. He was a splendid character, fully 
deserving of all the success he met with. 

Our friend met another shipmate who, when he 
came aboard the old whaleship at New Bedford, 
evidently had consumption. He was not of much 
use for months. He got seasick and remained in 
that condition off and on until the vessel got to 
the Islands. He then began to improve and be- 
came quite a man. After the voyage he became 
mate of a clipper that sailed to China. When he 
was men in 'Frisco he showed up a hearty, strong, 
athletic fellow, the owner of a good paying livery 
stable in San Jose. He was a living example of 
the necessity of active life and compulsory work in 
the open air, for those who are tainted with tubercu- 
losis. To send such people up to the mountains 
where they remain wrapped in blankets and depend 
upon dieting for cure, is not the proper method. 



17 

They need energizing through proper work in the 
open according to their strength so that their gen- 
eral condition will be built up, allowing a successful 
battle to be fought against the bacilli of the white 
plague. 

A young country boy came to the office to learn 
the printing trade. He was extremely diffident. 
He stuttered and was endowed with none of the 
points that could be classed with manly beauty ; 
but he had a determination that was bound to suc- 
ceed. Rapidly picking up the technic of the pro- 
fession, he soon developed into a full-fledged printer. 
Afterwards he started a job office in company 
with another. Just about that time he became 
acquainted with a young lady who proved irresisti- 
ble. The usual events followed one another rapidly 
and he asked the old man, who was a judge, for the 
privilege of taking his daughter in marriage. The 
old man was furious. For her to marry a printer 
would be exasperating. He would only allow her 
to marry a lawyer and so informed the impudent 
young man. The obstacle was immense but the 
swain determined to become a lawyer and so in- 
formed the lady. He commenced with spirit and 
determination to wade through the dry works in 
which the spirit of the law lies entombed. His 
progress was rapid and sure, causing him to pass 
his examinations with honor. Afterwards a judg- 
ship was the reward. The old man could not refuse 



i8 



his consent when the lawyer's wreath descended on 
the head of the young man and a happy marriage 
followed. The printer's case lost a fellow who be- 
came a hunter for cases of another character. This 
was an example of grit and determination that is 
always followed by success. His friends collected 
a fund with which a lawyer's library was pur- 
chased and presented to the new limb of the law. 



CHAPTER HI. 

Although the experiences thus far in 'Frisco had 
been pleasant, the hankering for the sea possessed 
our friend. The thought of sailing again was hardly 
ever out of his thoughts. The confinement of the 
office became extremely distasteful and one day he 
told the proprietor that he was going to ship again. 
The boss used every argument possible to prevent 
the rash act; but they had no effect and he found 
a ship going out to the northern part of California 
for a load of lumber. When she left port our friend 
was on board again as a full-fledged sailor. The 
salt sea air felt so good that it exhilarated him. The 
irksome restraints of civilized society avoided, and 
all his physical wants provided for by the ship with- 
out any thought necessary, combined to make the 
situation enticing. 



19 

The bark made a moderately quick passage to 
the port of destination and proceeded to load with 
sawn lumber that came directly down, by a chute, 
from the saws. The boards were from redwood 
logs and varied in density immensely. Often a 
plank would come down so quickly as to cause it 
to go over the vessel into the water. Some of them 
would sink in the water like lead, and others would 
float as though they were of cork. 

Eventually the bark was loaded. The hold was 
full and the deck load extended ten or twelve feet 
high, forcing the deck even with the water. There 
was only a zephyr of wind blowing when the vessel 
was detached from the buoy, not enough to produce 
steerageway, and she drifted directly down on the 
rocks to leeward. The captain, according to nautical 
phrase, had come through a porthole, that is, he was 
never a sailor; but had become a Captain through 
the force of ownership. The old man became half 
crazy, jumping up and down on deck, hollering out 
that he was ruined — that all his money was in- 
vested in the ship and she was lost. The mate, 
muttering something about an old fool, ordered a 
boat lowered with a kedge anchor which was car- 
ried out to windward, then manning the capstan, 
the vessel was drawn off the rocks. The kedging, 
however, was kept up for hours. The Captain 
would not allow it to stop until the vessel was almost 
out of sight of land. 



20 



A high wind sprang up that made a rough sea. 
It was necessary to get the anchor, hanging from 
the hawser hole, inboard on to the rail. When the 
command was given to hook on the tackle to the 
anchor for the purpose of bousing it up, our friend 
was standing where he naturally received the order. 
It was a tough job as the vessel was plunging her 
head into the heavy seas. A line was made fast 
aft; led over all, that is outside the rigging, to the 
bow, then fastened around his body. He then 
watched his chance to jump down on the anchor 
stock. At last, after a heavy surge of the ship 
into the water, he concluded it was time; but just 
as he was hooking on the block, the vessel gave a 
terrific plunge, carrying him deep down in the green 
water, a journey that seemed would never end until 
Davy Jones' locker was reached. The tackle was 
properly attached and our friend was swept around 
the ship to the stern, where he was hauled up 
nearly dead. The officer should have eased off the 
vessel before condemning any man to perform such 
dangerous work. It was a little tougher than pick- 
ing type from a case ; but that class of work was 
elected and no complaint was in order. 

The ship continued her journey until she reached 
her destination, San Pedro, one evening, where she 
anchored off Dead Man's Island. The next day 
was the Fourth of July, and, therefore, unloading 
could not be commenced. Early in the morning our 



21 



friend, with a companion, got permission from the 
captain to take the ship's boat ashore where the 
Fourth of July celebration could be observed. With 
strict orders to be back by nightfall, the boat was 
lowered and the two started off gaily for a holiday. 
Thoughtlessly they did not observe that a strong 
wind had sprung up which was getting fresher all 
the time. The men pulled for the lea of Dead 
Man's Island, but their strength was not sufficient 
for the heavy boat against such a wind, therefore 
she drifted outside the view of those on the ship, 
because the island interferred, toward some nasty 
breakers. When the ship's crew saw the boat drift- 
ing out of sight around the island and onto the 
breakers, they gave up the boys as lost, for they 
thought that two men could not manage the craft 
safely through such heavy water. The boys saw 
a buoy about fifteen feet ahead of them and pulled 
with all their might for three hours to fasten. The 
nearest they came to it in all that time was about 
six feet, being held back by the fierce wind. Becom- 
ing exhausted, the boat drifted into the breakers. 
They know not how they got through. It was a 
whirl and a dash. The boys were thrown down 
on the bottom, the seas breaking both oars. The 
breakers had raised a bar, over which smooth 
water was found. Into this smooth water the boat 
was sculled by means of a spare oar fortunately 
found, and up the lagoon to the village where the 



22 



Fourth of July racket was going on. Anvils were 
used to make it; the hole in one was filled with 
powder, then another was placed on top. The fuse 
being lighted, the top one would fly off, making a 
report cannon like, that was pleasing to the patri- 
otic Americans standing around. 

Long after nightfall the boys started back to the 
ship. The wind had died down and all that entered 
their minds was how to get aboard without alarming 
the officers, as they had long overstayed their lib- 
erty. They muffled the sculling oar and concluded 
to pull up the boat by the two hauling on one boat 
fall together, thus raising it gradually from the 
water. Quietly nearing the vessel, they were sur- 
prised to see all the officers and crew anxiously 
looking over the rail. Having supposed the boys 
were lost in the breakers, they slept lightly, and 
heard the almost soundless approach. Instead of 
being harshly received, their reception was hearty 
and pleasing, as though they were returning from 
the dead. 

After discharging cargo, the vessel returned to 
San Francisco. 

The next trip made was on a sloop to Gaviota, 
a place to the south of 'Frisco. It was pleasant 
sailing down the coast^ and as the duties were light, 
enjoyment ruled. Land was in sight all the way, 
consisting of sand dunes and rocky formations 
usually found on the west coast. When passing 



23 

some high bkiffs, hundreds of sheep were noticed 
on top. Suddenly the devil got into the head of 
the leading buck, causing him to leap down the 
steep precipice, followed by the entire drove. Such 
a fall of mutton is rarely observed. Of course they 
were dead when the rocks below were reached. 
The captain, who was a Swede, ordered the boat 
lowered, into which he jumped, and told the crew 
to pull for the shore, with the idea of getting a 
supply of fresh meat. The boat had reached 
within a few fathoms of land when the Captain 
sung out: 

"Stop mit your pulling, and right away go back 
mit the sloop. I tink what you poys say when back 
to 'Frisco we got. Every one of you will tell how 
the captain went along the shore picking up dead 
sheep to feed the crew mit. Dat is so, by Gott." 

So the crew had no fresh mutton. The captain 
had correctly diagnosed the natural outcome; but 
the boys had quite a pull before the old man's 
brains evolved the brilliant conclusion. 

In due time the vessel arrived at Gaviota, and 
proceeded to load with asphaltum. There was 
quite a sea running, making it necessary to fasten 
a line from a kedge anchor outside of the breakers, 
to the shore. By this line the loaded boat was 
pulled through the rough water. As one load, 
partially manned by our friend, was passing, a 
a heavy roller caused the man at the bow to loose 



24 

his hold and the boat swung around, held by the 
stern in an extremely dangerous position. Such a 
manoeuvre would, in ninety-nine cases out of a hun- 
dred, have caused the swamping of the boat, and 
the probable loss of life of those in it; but luckily 
the danger was escaped. With no wharf to load 
from and only an open roadstead to act in, the 
loading of the ship was by no means a picnic. As 
all things, pleasant or unpleasant, have an end, so 
the sloop eventually sailed away. She had her hold 
full and a heavy deck load, which was too much 
for the heavy weather met with. At one time, 
when sailing under a free wind with boom well out, 
a heavy sea broached into the sail, forcing the craft 
on to her beam ends, and almost causing her to go 
bottom up. The deck load that had been so labor- 
iously placed aboard, was swept away, causing the 
righting of the ship and undoubtedly saving the 
lives of those aboard. 

The last three days, before sailing into the har- 
bor to San Francisco, a heavy fog hung over the 
waters. No sun could be seen, and the only manner 
of knowing the position was by dead reckoning. 
The captain was noted on the coast for his sea 
scent. It was said that he could smell his way 
anywhere. The sloop had proceeded to a position 
supposedly near the entrance of the Golden Gate 
and then anchored, still encompassed by the dense 
fog. The captain and the mate entered into an 



25 

argument as to the location of the craft. The 
mate asserted that it was in such a place ; the cap- 
tain was positive the mate was wrong, and with a 
piece of chalk drew a line on deck between two 
lights and then another between two points of land. 
Where these lines bisected he declared the vessel 
lay. The fog lifted in about an hour and the posi- 
tion the captain had declared was found correct to 
a quarter of a mile, whereas the mate was forty 
miles out of the way. 

Several events happened to make our friend sus- 
picious that the captain intended to play some trick 
on the crew. He bemoaned the loss of his deck 
load and claimed there was no profit in the voyage. 
Therefore, when he told the men, after the vessel 
was fastened to the dock, to come down the next 
day for their money, our friend took occasion to 
privately inform the captain that he did not pro- 
pose to leave before obtaining what was due him ; 
that if he did not receive the amount by two o'clock 
in the afternoon, he would place a lien on the sloop. 
To have his vessel tied up by a lien was not to the 
liking of his nibs, and he promptly came down 
with the funds. Our friend was the only one that 
was paid, as the sloop left in the night for parts 
unknown to the unsophisticated sailors. 



CHAPTER IV. 

The next vessel honored by the presence of our 
friend was a bark that took on a cargo of general 
merchandise in 'Frisco and then sailed to the north- 
ward in California for a deck load of lumber. After 
getting this aboard she sailed to the south. She 
was an old hooker with rotten rigging, and other- 
wise conditioned far from the ideal of a thorough 
going sailor. She wallowed through the water like 
a tub, and made a wake like a serpent. She was 
built like the traditional ones, constructed up in 
Maine by the mile and sawed off to the lengths 
required by customers. 

While sailing down the coast one dark night, with 
threatening weather approaching, orders were given 
to take in the gaff topsail and our friend was sent 
aloft to furl it. When he reached the sail he found 
that at some previous time the sheet had parted, 
and some dub had knotted it outside of the block, 
preventing the sail from being hauled close to the 
mast. The only thing to be done was quickly ac- 
complished by our friend hauling out his sheath 
knife and cutting off the knot. The sheet was then 
properly rove through the block and bent on to 
the sail. It was intended to throw the short piece 
of line with knot overboard ; but the vessel was 
pitching badly at the time and instead, it fell on 
deck, just before the second mate. That gentle- 



27 

man was in bad humor. He broke into ungentle- 
manly language. In fact, it was positively pro- 
fane. He discoursed on what he would do to the 
rascal when he got on deck for cutting the bark's 
rigging. The programme laid out consisted in 
knocking off the head and beating the body into a 
state of jelly. Our friend thought that such a 
reception on deck would be decidedly unpleasant, 
so concluded 

'To do what others would do to you ; but do it fust" 
therefore, going down the ratlings to the rail, he 
sprang onto the second mate, still howling like a 
bull. The sudden impact brought the fellow to the 
deck with no gentle force, and gave every advantage 
to the one on top. All the fury was knocked out 
of the blackguard. He was converted to a Christ- 
ian-like being, and disavowed all his previous in- 
tentions. When he got into a contrite spirit he was 
allowed to get up, with a feeling of respect for his 
conqueror. 

Sailing down near Santa Barbara channel our 
friend was at the wheel. The thing he liked best 
was to steer a ship that obeyed the helm; but this 
tub acted like a led pig. She apparently did not 
consider that the motion of the tiller should be 
followed by a straight wake, therefore, she did not 
make one ; but nosed many points to the starboard 
and port, satisfied that the general average would 
bring her to the destination. While doing his best 



28 

at the wheel, the captain bellowed, ''What are you 
doing? Are you trying grand circular sailing? 
Keep her straight." 

After this outburst to relieve his pent up emo- 
tions, he whispered to the mate in what he thought 
was a low tone, but all the same it could be heard 
throughout the ship, "That man is the best helms- 
man that this hooker has ever had." 

It was customary when a member of the crew 
washed his clothes to tow the bundle overboard 
aft, to rinse them. Our friend had his weekly 
wash on a line aft when passing through Santa 
Barbara channel. When they were hauled in they 
were found permeated with gurry to such an ex- 
tent that they had become worthless and had to 
be thrown away. This streak of coal oil had been 
noticed on the surface of the channel waters for 
many years. The evidence of great wealth was 
disregarded. If our friend had had the knowledge 
afterwards obtained, he would have prospected 
for the source of supply and possibly might have 
become a second Rockefeller; but if he had, fate 
might have decreed that he would be in the land of 
the beyond, through the effects of high living. The 
sailors' grub did not produce obesity or gout; but 
did maintain a healthy body with a sound mind. 

The vessel shortly reached San Pedro, the port 
of a previously related incident. Discharging her 
cargo, consisting mainly of soap, macaroni and 



29 

barley, she proceeded to Anaheim Landing where 
many casks of wine, brandy and sacks of grain 
were received. Anaheim Landing had no harbor. 
It was the practice to load Anaheim productions 
into scows or lighters at the landing dock, which 
was four miles from the sea, up a lagoon. Then 
the landing crew towed the lighter down the lagoon, 
thence over the breakers to a very heavy buoy, 
about a mile out in the sea. There the lighters 
were fastened to await the vessel, if not in, or 
proceed to unload if the vessel was waiting. One 
of the crew was inclined to be a bully and to be 
continually talking about his strength. This fellow 
had it in for our friend, because of being check- 
mated several times during the voyage for his arro- 
gance. When it came time to load the grain into 
the vessel, the lighter's crew threw the bags up out 
of the hold to the lighter's deck; from thence tv/o 
men of the ship's crew were to throw the bags up 
to the vessel's deck. Our friend jumped to the 
position of one of the men and the bully took the 
opposite side, saying at the same time that it took 
a strong man for the work at that point, claiming our 
friend would shortly have to be relieved. The 
heavy bags came up fast. They weighed nearly 
two hundred pounds apiece. The opposite fellow 
was slow witted and did not understand that he 
was working against brains, for our friend quickly 
grasped his end of the bag, giving it a twitch that 



30 

threw most of the weight to the bully. He was so 
obtuse as not to notice the trick, and inside of an 
hour had to give up, while our friend was fresh 
and lively as possible. The bully had little to say 
about his strength during the balance of the voyage. 

Our friend talked considerably with the lighter's 
crew while unloading. They made much of the 
dangers incurred in going through the breakers, 
which fact enthused, instead of discouraged the 
recipient of the information, for at that time of 
his life he rather enjoyed employment where a 
little danger was encountered. He, therefore, de- 
termined to ship in the crew, as he was informed 
that they always wanted men because they would 
not stick and often gave up the job after one trip 
through the breakers. He had to go back to 'Frisco 
with the ship ; but told the captain of the crew that 
he would come back on the next steamer after the 
vessel's return. 

The bark made a comfortable return trip, and as 
the next day a steamer started for San Pedro, 
passage was taken on here for that point. The 
experience of being a passenger instead of rough- 
ing it was novel; but on the whole our friend did 
not thoroughly appreciate it. The continual jar 
caused by the machinery was not agreeable, it was 
so different from the steady, gliding motion of a 
ship; therefore, when the steamer arrived at San 
Pedro our friend was pleased. 



31 

It was necessary to walk overland to the Land- 
ing, a distance of five miles, at that time uninhabi- 
ted except by droves of wild cattle. These beasts 
proved the undoing of the traveler. He had pro- 
ceeded two or three miles, when warming up with 
the exercise, he threw the flap of a cloak which he 
wore over his shoulder, exposing the red lining, 
that intensely interested a bunch of steers. They 
pawed the ground and showed a disposition to be- 
come acquainted with the stranger. Not aware of 
the cause of the attraction, and the cattle becoming 
more and more hostile in action, our friend walked 
rapidly toward some boggy land to the right. 

The cattle seemed to divine his intention to reach 
the morass where they could not follow, and began 
a stampede of attack. This necessitated quick 
action. A run for life followed. The unsafe land 
was attained just in time for some of the cattle had 
their heads lowered preparatory to impaling the 
fleeing lad only a few feet away. Wallowing some- 
times up to his hips in the mucky mass, he reached 
a tuft of comparatively firm soil. The cattle 
mounted guard and kept the stranger a prisoner 
until morning. Shivering with cold and an empty 
stomach demanding food, caused a combination not 
desirable, and if he had the power, the slaughter of 
all the steers on the plains would have been immedi- 
ately ordered with intense delight. 

It was a forlorn lad that eventually arrived at the 



32 

Landing. His reception was a hearty welcome 
though, and soon in dry clothes, with plenty of food 
stowed away, he was fit for anything. The duties 
were quickly explained and he began an experience 
that was far from uneventful. 

The Landing dock had been built five miles in 
from the sea because that was the first solid, firm 
land met with for the foundation. The buildings 
consisted of a large warehouse, a small one-story 
office building, and a large one-story shack with 
bunks down one side for the crew. A little back 
were two cottages. The surrounding country was 
barren of shrubbery, a vast alkaline plain extending 
many miles. The only rise of ground occurred 
close to the landing, making a steep descent to the 
warehouse. Cattle had to hunt for their food 
which occurred in tufts sometimes yards apart. 
The crew when not engaged in towing down the 
lighters to the buoy, or returning with them, were 
employed in the warehouse, also, with pick and 
shovel, in leveling off the hill referred to. 

Anaheim, for which the Landing was built, con- 
sisted of a colony of Germans twenty miles back, 
near the San Bernardino mountains, and situated 
on the St. Gabriel river. It seems that some years 
before a band of Germans growing grapes, and 
winemakers on the Rhine, clubbed together and 
sent two of their number to California to search 
for the best location for grape growing. They 



33 

found the ideal spot on Don Pico's ranch and bought 
of him 2,000 acres at two dollars an acre, with 
continual water rights from the St. Gabriel river 
for irrigation. These two men remained, and 
dividing the property in ten and twenty acre lots, 
planted the vines and quick growing trees around 
the whole property. They tended to the vines, 
established irrigation ditches, and when grapes 
began to grow, the whole colony came on and took 
possession. That land that cost twenty dollars for 
ten acres, the holders, when our friend arrived at 
the Landing, held at $10,000 a lot, and they would 
not sell at that price. 

A few days after our friend arrived a lighter 
which had been loaded, was towed down to the 
buoy to meet a steamer from San Diego. It was 
a laborious operation. The scow was pulled by a 
line, the men hauling first on one side of the lagoon, 
then in the other as they found a suitable ground 
to walk over, the men being shifted from side to 
side by means of the boat. On arriving at the 
breakers they were found to be light, no wind or 
swell being in evidence. The load was quickly 
transferred to the steamer, and the empty lightei 
returned to the Landing by the same method as on 
the outgo. This sounds very easy ; but imagine a 
five-mile walk, at a snail's pace, towing a big hulk 
of a barge through the water, then with a boat tow- 
ing it, through the broken sea to a buoy ; then 



34 

waiting two hours for the steamer to appear; after 
that turning to and unloading into the vessel ; thence 
by slow towing again to the Landing. The men 
needed no cocktails to create an appetite for sup- 
per, which often occurred late at night, after which 
they lost no time spinning yarns ; but quickly stowed 
themselves away in their bunks. 

This life, one would think, was monotonous; but 
our friend did not find it so. It was a vigorous 
life and at many points had its humorous side. In 
the course of a comparatively short time our friend 
was the only man left out of the crew when he 
arrived, excepting, of course, the captain, a German, 
who had been on deck since the Landing was 
started. He was a good natured fellow, not over- 
burdened with intelligence, and the only thing that 
bothered him was to lose a meal. That caused him, 
sometimes, even to growl. Being the most experi- 
enced man in the crew, our friend was often called 
upon to act as captain during the absence, for any 
cause, of the German. On one occasion, while in 
command, the lighter was pulled through the break- 
ers without any trouble as they were not rough ; 
but while unloading on the steamer a stiff breeze 
sprang up and a heavy swell rolled in, creating a 
heavy surf. There were six lines of breakers to 
pass through. 

It was the practice after passing one line to watch 
the motion of the water and note the best time to go 



35 

slow, or the best time to put all the force possible 
on the oars to prevent the seas falling on the boat. 
The point was to make the top of the green water 
break just aft of the boat. This day we had in the 
crew two green men just down from 'Frisco. They 
were old sailors but unacquainted with surf work. 
In the most dangerous position, when the green 
water was piling up aft high above the boat, and 
when it was necessary to pull with mighty force to 
keep ahead of the wall of water to prevent it fall- 
ing on the boat, the two new men got into a panic. 
Losing control of themselves, they allowed their oars 
to remain in the water^ causing them to be a drag 
instead of agents of propulsion. There was only 
one thing to do and it was done promptly. Our 
friend quickly drew in his stearing oar, and jump- 
ing down on the two dazed men, brought them to 
the bottom of the boat in no gentle manner, causing 
the oars to be lifted. He then sprang back in time 
to prevent the boat from broaching to the comber. 
If that immense breaker had reached and broken 
in the boat, it would have been swamped, undoubt- 
edly causing the loss of all lives aboard. The two 
dazed, and by the action mentioned, bruised men, 
having got through the danger, felt of their bruises 
with resentment. Growling, they declared they 
would fight the one who had jumped on them. No 
insubordination could be allowed, so when the light- 
er was tied up, they were invited to carry out their 



36 

threats. This bluff usually worked. The men 
slouched away saying they would not go in the boat 
again for the world, and demanded their discharge. 
This they had a perfect right to, on demand, as when 
they shipped to 'Frisco an agreement was made that 
the company would pay their passage to the Land- 
ing, also their return passage at any time a dis- 
charge was requested. This favorable agreement 
had to be made to obtain men for this, considered to 
be, tough place. These men had cost their passage 
down, and after one day's false work, their return 
passage. This was by no means an exceptional case, 
but often occurred. The crew as a body was con- 
tinually changing. The two men mentioned got 
their discharge with vouchers for their return pass- 
age and left that night. The last seen of them they 
were trudging over the plains toward San Pedro. 
As they had nothing red about them except their 
faces, undoubtedly they passed safely the watchful 
steers. 



CHAPTER V. 

One day the Landing clerk, a likable fellow, in- 
vited our friend to ride to Anaheim with him, as 
he had to go there on business. In due time it was 
announced that the team was ready and our friend 
got aboard. The clerk was already in and holding 
fast, well braced, to new lines that showed up 
grandly in the morning sun. It was then noticed 
that the vehicle looked strange. It was not of 
usual type ; was built with two wheels. It was also 
noticed that a number of men were around, holding 
the two fine looking horses that seemed restive as 
though a long stay in the stable had made them 
anxious for a free run. The clerk sang out to the 
men to spring away, and then commenced a circus 
that our friend will never forget. The horses went 
to the right and to the left; they reared up and at 
times tried to turn in the shafts as though they 
wanted to get into the buggy. They tried the kick- 
ing act for a time ; but the shafts were too long for 
their heels to wrench the vehicle. Our friend 
wanted to get out — he had lost all desire to go to 
Anaheim. He would have preferred to be at work 
in the warehouse ; but the absurdity of leaving his 
seat was apparent. All that he could do was to hold 
tight. The clerk had all he could do with the lines 
wound around his hands, the animals almost pulling 
his arms off in their desire to be free ; but he was 



38 

boss. He was in command and all the wild beasts 
could do to break loose was abortive. After the 
circus had kept up for a long time, the clerk had 
mastered the brutes and gradually they were going 
in the direction wanted. Before we got to Anaheim 
the animals had acknowledged their master and 
were traveling along like any pair of self-respecting 
carriage horses. 

When the clerk had got the pair down to work 
and was at liberty to talk, he told our friend that 
the animals were lassoed on the plains from a bunch 
of wild critters early that morning; that the price 
of wild horses, if not selected, was five dollars. The 
buckayros would go into a bunch and lasso the first 
possible. His charge was five dollars, making the 
cost of the animals ten dollars each. But the clerk 
wanted a matched pair. In that case the price was 
ten dollars each and the buckayro's price was also 
ten dollars each. So the clerk had a pair of horses 
that could not be beat anywhere, for forty dollars. 
They were beauties and on the ride back, when their 
action could be calmly studied, they were declared 
to be perfect. 

The people of Anaheim were found to be kind 
and hospitable. The entrance to the place was 
through a gate. The trees that had been planted 
surrounding the property had grown large and pre- 
vented entrance except through gates provided at 
every road approach. One old gentleman took our 



39 

friend into his cellar and gave him some wine from 
the first vintage in the colony. It was fine, like oil 
in consistency, and equal to the finest produced in 
Europe. The trouble with California wines is that 
they are not treated right. They are not held in 
the casks long enough to get properly aged, and thus 
get that boquet that is prized by connoisseurs. Any 
wine fresh from the press, made in any part of the 
world, will have a rank flavor that is not pleasant; 
but it costs money to properly treat and age wine, 
and as long as the fresh wine can find a quick mar- 
ket, in that condition, it will be sold. Many a cask 
of CaHfornia wine has been sold, represented to be 
the finest vintage of Europe, after the foreign pur- 
chaser has aged and bottled it properly. A large 
amount of brandy was made in Anaheim ; but it was 
always shipped in the rank, fresh state. 

One day while digging in the side of a hill a baby's 
shoe was found at the bottom, under forty feet of 
sedimentary and alluvial deposits. Apparently the 
find would prove that ages ago a child was toddling 
along when it unfortunately lost the shoe that be- 
came in time covered with the slowly formed de- 
posits that would take aeons to accomplish. It is a 
question if the age of some of the archeologists' 
finds are not based on data as far from the truth, 
for when a gopher hole was mentioned the mystery 
was solved. 

There were a number of greasers, or Mexicans, 



employed at one time at the Landing on some im- 
provements, and while our friend was in charge of 
the gang he had them take hold of a heavy timber, 
sharpened to a point at one end, and tote it down 
a slight decline. The movement was directed by 
holding on to the sharpened end, for the fellows 
did not understand English very well. All at once 
the crowd stumbled with a precision that would 
have done honor to a military company when 
ordered to ground arms. The timber fell forward 
and the point struck a watch in our friend's waist- 
coat pocket. It was a large watch and undoubt- 
edly saved his life. If the point had struck his un- 
protected stomach the wound would have been fear- 
ful. The watch was smashed; but the lad lived to 
express his heartfelt wishes as to the future condi- 
tion of the grinning greasers. 

One time, just as day was turning into night, a 
six-horse truck laden with brandy, came down the 
declivity mentioned before, leading to the ware- 
house. The driver either did not put on his brakes, 
or for some reason they did not work, for the truck 
got to going beyond control and at a sharp turn in 
the road upset, throwing the casks of brandy down 
in a gulch, and as they reached the jutting rocks 
below, all were completely smashed, except one 
which stood on end, with only the top part torn off. 
There was a large amount of brandy ready for any 
service to which it could be put. The worst service 



41 

possible at that time was to place it in the stomachs 
of the men. 

One of the men rushed to the warehouse for a big 
bucket. Divining his object, our friend tried to dis- 
suade him from saving any of the rank stuff. All 
the arguments thought of were used; but the man, 
joined in by all the others, declared that the liquor 
was too good to be lost, therefore, a bucketfull was 
baled out of the cask. It was taken to the shack 
and placed in the middle of the floor. The boys 
turned in early, for the day's work had been severe. 
The first thing to do was for each man to take a tin 
dipper full of the decoction that is usually served 
in wine glasses. The men tumbled in their bunks; 
but the vile compound soon put in its work. Luckily 
no fighting disposition showed up. It was only a 
good natured, hilarious lot of men firmly resolved 
not to slumber, and to make all the noise possible. 
Nearly all had guns handy. One of the men at last 
declared that he could hit the only candle that stood 
on a shelf. The result was that in a jiffy all were 
hitting of some member of the crew, unintention- 
ers, not one bull's eye. The way the bullets flew 
was a revelation of poor marksmanship. Some went 
through the roof; some through the sides of the 
building, and some through the floor; but still the 
candle burned merrily on. Our friend, fearing the 
hitting of some member of the crew, unintention- 
ally, of course, and thinking that if they got more of 



42 

the stuff aboard they would quiet down into a 
drunken stupor, sang out, : 

*'You men do not know how to drink; come all 
hands and take another nip," at the same time get- 
ting out of his bunk and making for the bucket 
from which he pretended to take a drink. Several 
men made an endeavor to accept the invitation, but 
they were too drunk to get out of their bunks. Our 
friend seeing the condition, with assumed drunken- 
ness, stumbled against the bucket, causing it to up- 
set, and then knocked the light out. Meanwhile all 
the ammunition of the men had been used and 
gradually the universal yelling subsided, succeeded 
by the drunken snoring of some, while an occasional 
outcry from others continued until all had arrived 
in a state of drunken stupor. This experience was 
far from being jolly. Just imagine a sober man in 
with a crew of armed, drunken men, whom he was 
supposed to control, not knowing when some one or 
more would get into a fighting humor, producing 
destruction and possible loss of life. The only 
wonder is that his hair was its natural color in the 
morning. The men turned to the next day suffer- 
ing from the night's debauch. There was a con- 
straint in their manner and a quietness produced 
by the labor of carrying around their swelled heads, 
that would argue the auspicious moment for sign- 
ing the pledge to refrain forever from indulging 
in the contents of the flowing bowl. 



CHAPTER VI. 

One day our friend concluded to go to San Pedro 
for a visit. He started out fresh, and had gone 
some distance when he concluded a horseback ride 
would be a novelty to enjoy without the common- 
place tramping that was tiring; so he made a wide 
detour on the right to a lone ranch house. He in- 
quired if he could get a horse for the journey. ''Cert," 
said a man he met. "Sit on the piazza while I 
fetch one." After an ungodly long wait, the man 
came back and reported the animal ready on the 
other side of the house. Our friend followed around 
and found the horse with two men holding his head, 
with another one cinching the saddle up with all his 
force, having one foot on the ground and the other 
on the horse's belly. The animal seemed to object 
to this harsh treatment and the two men holding 
his head had all they could do to hold him. At last 
the horse made a supreme efifort and tore away 
from his torturers, speeding like the wind as he 
disappeared in the distance. That horse was never 
seen again. 

One of the trapederos, or stirrups^, was found 
six months afterwards when the dry season came 
on, causing the grass to wither, and exposing any- 
thing resting on the plains. The balance of the 
saddle never came to light. The fact was that the 
man had proceeded to a bunch of wild animals and 



44 

lassoed one for our friend to ride. He could not 
help thinking what the result would have been if he 
had got on the beast's back. His imagination pic- 
tured all kinds of woes, from fractured limbs to a 
broken head. The only certainty was that the seat 
would have been uneasy and the stay extremely 
short. 

After a lively dissertation expressive of our 
friend's thoughts to the men he tramped on. The 
delay made it necessary to walk fast to get back by 
night. St. Gabriel River was reached, and he was 
about to ford it, the water being up to his knees, 
when he noticed a man on horseback about a mile 
below, frantically waving his arms, also speeding 
towards him. When the stranger got within talk- 
ing distance he halloed ''Do not go into the water 
there, the quicksands will swallow you up in a 
minute." Thanking the stranger for his warning 
and getting from him the location of a safe cross- 
ing, he proceeded on his way. Our friend found 
out afterwards that the place where he intended to 
cross contained the most dangerous quicksands in 
the country. A man, on horseback had lost his life 
there only a short time before. The bad record of 
the place had been known for many years. There 
should have been placed a sign notifying travelers 
of its danger, but the country was new, and life 
was cheap. This was another case where our 
friend's life was saved by almost a miracle. 



45 



The visit to San Diego was a short one, and he 
soon started back, late in the afternoon. When he 
reached St. Gabriel River on the return it was pitch 
dark. The sky was covered with dense clouds and 
he could hardly see one foot before him. He re- 
membered that he had only taken off his shoes and 
rolled up his trousers in the morning, therefore, he 
proceeded to do the same now. Boldly walking 
into the water, he soon found it up to his hips, then 
being carried off his feet, he began swimming for 
dear life. The torrential rush of water carried him 
down stream and he just caught hold of the last 
bunch of bushes on the opposite shore quite a mile 
below the starting point. If he had not grasped 
these bushes he would have been swept out into the 
breakers, thereby losing the number of his mess. As 
it was, the only loss he met with was his shoes which 
he held in his hand when entering the stream. The 
cause of the torrential flow of waters that had 
changed a trickling stream in a few hours into the 
condition met with at night, was a heavy rain- 
storm in the mountains. A sore-footed fellow 
walked into the Landing late at night ; but on the 
whole not so bedraggled as when he first tramped 
in, after being interviewed by the steers. 

One day a lighter load had been towed down. 
The breakers were quite rough and required some 
engineering to get the load through. The steamer 
was waiting at the buoy so that the unloading was 



46 

proceeded with immediately. There was quite a 
cargo to transfer and it took a long time, but the 
work was finished at last and there was an empty 
lighter to take back to the Landing. The wind 
had been freshening up all the time until a fierce 
gale was blowing, creating lines of breakers that it 
would have been foolish to attempt to pass through. 
The only thing to do was to remain fastened to the 
buoy until the gale blew over. That might be in a 
few hours ; but cases had happened when the lighter 
had been held for two days fastened to the buoy. 
Not a pleasant prospect, as no food could be pro- 
cured until the Landing was reached. The wind be- 
came fiercer and fiercer. The empty barge pitched 
hither and thither in the turbulent waters, straining 
at the fastenings as if determined to break loose. 
There was used to attach the lighter to the buoy a 
three inch cable, also an inch and a quarter line. 

Between one and two o'clock in the morning the 
three inch cable parted with a resounding smack, 
and the vessel then had to depend on the one and a 
quarter inch line. It was a forlorn hope that it 
would hold. If a three inch line parted, how could 
it be expected that the tiny one would hold! The 
boys gave up all hope and waited calmly until the 
small line should give way, when, owing to the 
direction the wind was blowing, the inevitable re- 
sult would follow, that the lighter would be dashed 
upon the rocks to leeward, where it would be de- 



47 

stroyed immediately and all on board would be in 
Davy Jones' locker in a few minutes. There they 
waited for hours, their lives depending upon a 
thread, as it were. With resignation, and no bewail- 
ing of their probable extinction, they stuck it out. 
It was only in the line of their business. Dangers 
often met, lose their terrors. The miraculous hap- 
pened. The small line held and towards morning 
a lessening of the storm was noticed. It continued 
to reduce in strength until at lo o'clock only a light 
wind was blowing. The crew waited until the ex- 
tremely dangerous surf had lowered, when they 
started for the Landing. They had pulled in their 
belts several times, but still there was a very empty 
feeling below them when they struck their next 
meal, about five o'clock in the afternoon. 

Thus events followed one another, thick and thin ; 
but it must be acknowledged that the thick came 
more often than the thin. It was considered the 
toughest place on the west coast and that was saying 
a good deal. Out of the many who had engaged to 
do the work, the longest stay of any one, outside 
of our friend, was less than one month. Our friend 
had been many months on the job, enjoying its 
rough life. At last the German captain wanted him 
to take his place for good, stating that he was 
getting old and wanted to retire to a more easy job, 
stating also that our friend had better control over 
the men and directed better than he could. But 



no, he could not accept the exalted office because 
he intended to leave. He had talked long and 
often about sharking, a business followed every 
season by companies of men at the end of every 
lagoon along the coast. The successes of these 
men and their failures were dwelt upon. Their 
failures, as it often occurred, were attributed to 
non-attention to business through intemperance or 
laziness ; but our friend found out that the fail- 
ures sometimes occurred through selecting a lagoon 
into which the sharks refused to run that season. 
It was a legend among sharkers that if a dead 
shark, after being caught, should be allowed to get 
into the water again, the run would immediately 
stop, the fish going to another lagoon. The para- 
phernalia of the business was such that it was awk- 
ward to move into another lagoon miles off, in the 
season of the run, which was short, lasting only 
about six weeks. 



CHAPTER VII. 

Our friend picked up all the information possible 
concerning the sharks ; found out what they wanted 
and what they disliked ; got the data of what was 
required in the business, and determined to try his 
luck with the next run, that would occur in a short 
time. He found a company of two who had be- 
come disgusted with their non-success of the previ- 
ous year and bought of them a flat-bottomed boat, 
a seine and a large trypot. The boat and seine 
immediately came into his possession ; but the try- 
pot was resting on the top of a high sand dune 
which seemed a secure place for it to rest until 
wanted. The future proved otherwise. An iron 
pot on a sand dune at least twenty-five feet above 
and a mile from water, would certainly seem to 
be as safe as though it was in a safe deposit vault ; 
but shortly after the purchase a fierce, westerly 
gale came on and during the high spring tides, 
drove the waters of the sea far inland, flooding the 
plains for many miles around, causing the loss of 
thousands of cattle by drowning. Amongst the 
other losses caused was the washing away of the 
sand dune holding the trypot. It was sad, but 
could not be helped. After dredging the location 
of the sand dune for hours, it was given up for 
lost, to be found, perhaps, ages afterwards as a 
relic of a bygone people, too late, however, for the 



so 

sharking season. Therefore, an order went to San 
Francisco for another trypot, a lot of cask shooks 
to hold oil, coopering tools, shark hooks, etc. Our 
friend had located a place five miles away on a 
lagoon that had not been fished for years, and 
awaited the arrival of his freight and the opening 
of the season. 

Everybody told him he must have a partner, that 
he could not possibly go it alone; that one man 
could not draw the seine, and that there was other 
work that required two. But no. The specimens 
of men from which he could have obtained a part- 
ner did not appeal to our friend. He determined 
to go it alone and the result proved the wisdom of 
his decision. 

In due time the trypot arrived and was carted 
down to the lagoon. The shooks and other material 
did not arrive at the same time as was expected. 

To prove to the doubters that the seine could 
be worked by one man, our friend started down 
from the Landing, one Sunday, to the place where 
he proposed to fish for his bait. The sharks when 
running in demanded strictly fresh bait caught every 
day. The place selected for this fishing was five 
miles from the Landing, and four miles from the 
lagoon located for shark fishing; therefore, this 
march of eight miles, to and back, had to be made 
every day for bait. When the lake, formed on 
one side of the lagoon was reached, our friend 



51 

fastened one end of the net to a large bush and 
with rapid strokes of the oars sent the boat in a 
circle out and back to the same bush. All the while 
the long seine was paying out aft from the boat. 
Then commenced the hauling in, which was done in 
a systematic manner. Soon there was evidence that 
something had happened. The pulling in became 
laborious and taxed the strength of the hauler ; but 
when the catch was exposed on the shore, it proved 
phenomenal. No after hauling of the net was so 
successful. The fish were piled into the boat, leav- 
ing hardly room enough to pull it. When making 
the Landing our friend was met by some of the 
boys who had come to jeer, but when they saw the 
load of fish, they were hearty in praise. They 
concluded that one man with a boat, a long net, 
and a jolly determination to succeed, could accom- 
pHsh wonders. 

A comfortable hut was built out of drift logs and 
covered by canvas. A supply of flour, bacon, beans, 
rice, sugar and coffee was laid in. Everything was 
ready except the goods expected by steamer. Late 
in the afternoon, one day, when our friend happened 
to be at the Landing, they came to hand. How to 
get the shooks to the sharking station was a puzzle. 
There were no teams at the time to be had. The 
sharks had begun to run and there was no time to 
lose. What was the matter with wheeling some 
of them down on a wheelbarrow that could be 



52 

borrowed? The idea seemed to be good, therefore, 
the barrow was piled with shooks, tools, shark hooks 
and lines. Early in the evening, after sunset, saying 
good-by to the boys, the wheelbarrow was started 
with the roar of breakers on the right, a breeze 
blowing in the back, and stars showing in the front 
as guides. 

The tramp was kept up at a lively pace on the 
hard ground, until becoming thoroughly warmed 
up and supposing that one-half the distance had 
been done, a rest was decided upon ; but on stopping, 
the coolness of night, which in that climate always 
shows up, completely chilled our friend so that he 
had to get a gait on again. Meanwhile the break- 
ers on the right could not be heard, the wind in 
the back was not noticed and the stars had been 
obliterated by a mist, so all the guides had when 
starting, were gone. Walking became tiresome. 
Thoughts of leaving the load and proceeding free 
occurred, but the necessity of having the goods 
forbade. At last a light was observed in the dis- 
tance. Thinking it was the lantern hung up when 
leaving the hut in the morning, the speed was 
hastened with new spirits ; but alas ; it developed 
that the light proceeded from the Landing, the start- 
ing point early in the evening. The walk had been 
in a circle, as is usually the case when tramping at 
night, with no guide. The right foot swings a 
longer stride than the left. 



53 



To go into the quarters, waking up the boys and 
informing them of the mishap, was not to be con- 
sidered. Their chaffing could not be stood ; there- 
fore, setting his teeth together with a determination 
to succeed, the start was made again for the hut. 
Trying to avoid any swinging around in a circle, 
the tramp, tramp was continued. It was long after 
midnight when the new departure was made, and 
the load was not light. It was tough; but the 
spirits were kept up by thinking of all the jolly 
things that had happened in the past, and the legs 
continued the pacing behind the Irishman's gig 
containing a donkey's burden, advancing it slowly 
until daylight, then horrors! it was apparent that 
the arrival was eight miles up the lagoon from the 
hut. The start had been made to reach the hut, 
and it had to be made. Late in the afternoon 
the hut was approached with lagging steps. 

With no thought of preparing food, sadly needed, 
he dropped into the slumber which exhausted nature 
demanded. One day was lost in the recovering of 
our friend, so he must have slept all that night and 
all the next day. When he awoke an appetite 
developed that required an enormous amount of 
food to supply. So, building a good fire of buffalo 
chips, the pot was put on filled with water, and to 
be sure that he would have enough, a very large 
portion of rice was poured in. That was his first 
experience in boiling rice. He built another fire on 



54 

which to fry bacon. After he got this going, he 
looked to see how his rice was getting along. To 
say that he was surprised, only tells a portion of 
the truth. The rice had rolled up over the pot, 
concealing it completely, putting out the fire, and 
was rapidly covering the scenery. After bailing 
out ninety-nine one-hundredths of the rice, and 
building a good fire, a goodly feed of rice and 
bacon was enjoyed. 

The fishing for sharks then began in earnest. 
They were running in lively. The kind of shark 
fished for was what is called "shovel-nosed." They 
were all females and averaged four or five feet 
long. Each shark contained a liver that made a 
gallon of oil. Hauling the shark over the low 
bank, when caught, hitting the fish over the nose 
with a club to quiet her, then ripping open the belly 
to get the liver, and slicing off the dorsal fin, was 
quick work. The oil was tried out in the pot and 
began to collect in goodly amount. The shooks 
were set up into casks (an art learned on the whale 
ship through helping the cooper), and the oil placed 
in them. 

Time passed merrily in the distant place between 
fishing and the eight-mile tramp daily to and from 
the place where the net was drawn for fish to serve 
as live bait, also trying out, coopering casks, and 
cooking the simple meals. The sharks only ran in 
during certain stages of the tide, so there was 



55 

plenty of time to perform these various duties un- 
molested by any human being. Perfect joy in the 
daytime, and sound sleep in the hut at night, was 
the rule. Wealth was being produced rapidly, and 
as the season only lasted a short time, no loss of 
time was permitted. 

One beautiful night, while asleep, the sound of 
horses' hoofs awakened the sleeper. Over the hard 
alkaline plain the sound reverberated loudly. Anxi- 
ously, he awaited the approach of the stranger, for 
no good reason could be evolved for any one to 
make that journey of five miles, in the dead of 
night, over those plains from the Landing except 
one of great importance. The stranger appeared 
and handed our friend a dead letter from Washing- 
ton, a letter written nine months before to a brother 
in Boston. This brother had removed to another 
city, causing the non-delivery of the letter. The 
Dead Letter Office had traced our friend, and thus 
the arrival of the same late at night to the Landing. 
No one was awake except the night watchman, a 
good-natured fellow who could not read very well. 
He saw the stamp and thought it was some import- 
ant matter from the seat of government that should 
be delivered immediately, therefore, he had saddled 
up a horse and made the trip. Thanks were pro- 
fuse and the stranger galloped away in the darkness, 
thinking that a very meritorious service had been 
performed. That was the only disagreeable experi- 



56 

ence in the land of sharks for the non-deUvery of 
the letter caused doubts and fears that the brother 
had died during the long years of absence. 



CHAPTER VIII. 

One night after our friend had eaten his supper, 
cooked as usual over buffalo chips, while calmly 
smoking his pipe, at peace with all the world, and 
building castles in the air, inhabited with thoughts 
that seemed pleasant indeed, he saw the top of a 
bush in front of the hut move. There was no breeze, 
the air being perfectly calm. This was the only 
bush for many yards. There was no animal on 
the plains large enough to cause the movement ex- 
cept some cows which were too large to be con- 
cealed by the foliage. A man thinks rapidly in the 
wilds. Immediately the conclusion was reached that 
a man caused the movement. Quickly springing to 
the side of the hut, out of the light reflected by the 
embers of the dying fire, he pulled his pistol, ex- 
claiming at the same time, ''Hands up." Two 
black hands came slowly in sight above the bush 
and the owner exclaimed ''Amigo" (friend, in 
Spanish). "Amigo be damned. Vamose" (get). 

The fellow started from the concealment of the 
bush, again uttering, "Amigo;" but a pistol shot 



57 

on each side of the retreating rascal caused him to 
hasten his exit. He started on a quick run and 
disappeared in the darkness. 

Our friend calmly turned in to slumber, indiffer- 
ent to circumstances, as though he was in the Fifth 
Avenue Hotel of New York. He knew that the 
fellow would not return and there was no one else 
to do him harm. 

The greaser had evidently crawled on his belly to 
the concealment of the bush to await the time when 
tired nature caused the sleeping of his prey, when 
a slash of his knife would prevent all opposition and 
a looted hut would be his reward. At that time 
these greasers were the principal criminals of Cali- 
fornia. The shots, instead of being aimed so as to 
increase the speed of the fleeing devil, should have 
been aimed to kill. Humanitarians may talk all 
they please about the brotherhood of man and the 
desirability of saving their souls ; but they cannot 
change the belief of an old Californian. or any one 
else, who has had experience with bad Indians, 
greasers, and the general rififraff of human crimi- 
nals, that the best place for them is six feet under 
ground. 

The sharking season came to an end, like all things 
good or bad on this earth. The experience was 
very enjoyable in this lovely spot. Fully occupied 
in a productive capacity, free from all the restraints 
of civilized life, living the life of nature in fact was 



58 

all to the good. With the best of health and spirits, 
our friend began to close up the business. The 
cooperage of the casks of oil and preparing them 
for shipment occupied a short time. The season 
had been very profitable, and with a light heart the 
oil was loaded on teams sent from the Landing, to 
be delivered on board the steamer shortly due, for 
shipment to San Francisco. Then a large hayrack 
wagon was procured, and the shark fins were thrown 
in, making a load high above the vehicle. These 
fins could only be sold to Chinamen, who ship them 
to China for making soup. The wealthy Mandarins 
can only afford this coveted delicacy. The fins 
were roughly cut from the backs of the sharks, 
many inches of flesh and skin adhering. In mak- 
ing soup only the soft centre bones are good, so in 
weight the substance actually used is infinitesimal 
compared to the mass bought. 

Early in the morning our friend mounted the team 
with the driver and started for the long journey 
across the plains to San Pedro. San Pedro, at 
that time, was a village of one long straggling 
street. Entering the street at the upper end, the 
team proceeded along slowly. Soon a Chinaman 
ran out and said : 

''You selle shark fins?" 

"Yes, John." 

"How muchee?" 

"What you give, John?" 



59 

"Centee en halb, pund." 

"Not enough, John." 

Another Chinaman ran out and asked: 

"You selle shark fins?" 

"Yes, John." 

"How muche?" 

"What you give, John?" 

"Two centee pund." 

"Not enough, John." 

The whole village was in an uproar. The China- 
men were gesticulating and jabbering away in an 
exciting manner. The shark fins proceeded down 
the road followed and surrounded by Celestials 
crying out in their guttural language. This im- 
mense quantity of the desired delicacy created a 
frenzy among them. Evidently there was a dearth 
of shark fins in the Chinese country, and they 
thought our friend was aware of the conditions, for 
he would not accept the last offer, the highest 
price fins had heretofore sold for in the local market. 

The excitement spread to the white inhabitants 
who poured out of every store and house. Their 
voices joined in the chorus and all seemed to be 
having the time of their lives. The caravan slowly 
proceeded all the while and the same questions and 
answers were given. The offers increased one-half 
cent per pound every time until reaching the end 
of the street, eight cents per pound was offered 
and accepted after it was considered that the limit 



6o 

of price had been reached. The rack was unloaded 
after a goodly bag of gold was passed in payment. 
The price was fabulous, and was quoted for many 
years afterward as the top notch reached for the 
Chinese delicacy. Until late at night the excitement 
kept up. There was certainly a rousing old time 
in that sleepy town for many hours. Afterwards 
our friend became acquainted with a gentleman in 
San Francisco who told him that at the time of the 
sale he published a paper in the village and had 
printed a column and a half report of the event, 
which he declared was the best copy that he used 
during his whole experience in the publishing 
business. 



CHAPTER IX. 

The next day our friend went aboard a steamer 
bound for San Francisco. As he was passing aft 
to the purser's room to purchase his ticket, a voice 
called out, ''Where are you going, Ned?" On look- 
ing back at the speaker, he recognized one of his 
old acquaintances, who was then mate of the vessel. 
Informing him of his object, the mate exclaimed: 

''Don't do that. We are terribly short handed. 
Why not turn to with us, you can earn money 
instead of paying it out for passage?" 

Being persuaded this was the best thing to do, 



6i 



the chest was sent forward, instead of aft, and the 
crew was increased by one man. 

The craft was found to be not only short handed, 
but was manned by the most inefficient lot of beach- 
combers that had ever been collected together. They 
were a ratty assembly; not an honest sailor in the 
bunch. Our friend acted more as an officer than 
foremast hand during the passage, trying to make 
the drove perform their duties. 

The vessel carried square sails in addition to 
steam power, and one time during a fair wind the 
foretopsail was loosened and sheeted home. With 
the help of the sail the speed was increased for 
several hours, when the wind changed and it be- 
came necessary to take in the canvas. The crew 
were ordered aloft to furl it. Our friend was quick 
in the rigging and got to the bunt, or centre of the 
yard, when a burly brute came slowly up the 
shrouds, and using foul language, said that was his 
position. He was told to spread out on the yard 
as it required a man in at the bunt. The answer was 
that he would thrash the life out of our friend when 
he got him on deck. The sail was quickly gathered 
in and the gaskets properly fastened, when, on 
reaching the deck, the dock walloper was invited to 
carry out his threat ; but he slouched off muttering. 

The steamer stopped at a number of ports where 
it was necessary to discharge and take on freight 
before heading for 'Frisco. Just after passing the 



62 

Heads, one of the men came up to our friend and 
said: 

''Are you wid us?" 

"What do you mean, you slob?" was the answer. 

''Well, wees all going to strike when the dock is 
reached and if yous are not wid us, yous are agin 
us, and a busted head will come to ye." 

The officers of the ship were not aware of this 
intended strike, and when posted, prepared them- 
selves with the help of the stewards and cooks, to 
pass the fastening lines. When the dock was 
reached it was found to be crowded with a yelling 
mob of what were called men. The crew quickly 
joined them, fleeing like rats over the rail. Being 
forewarned, the officers passed cables and lines and 
soon had the vessel secure. They also ran out the 
landing stage for discharging the cargo, which made 
a steep slide down to the dock. The strike was 
entirely unjustifiable, as the sailors' wages on the 
coast then were twice that ruling anywhere else. 

When everything was snug, the mate came to 
our friend and told him that a new vessel was ready 
for our old man to command and that he was to 
take the captaincy of this one on the next voyage ; 
also saying that he wanted our friend to go with 
him as his first mate. He was told that could not 
be, as he had formed a firm resolve to leave the sea- 
faring life, with all its fascinations. All the persua- 
sions of the mate were of no avail, for he felt there 



63 

was within the abihty to accomplish more ashore 
than possible sailing the seas, but the mate said : 

''You cannot go ashore now in that howling nest 
of rats. They will surely kick the head off of you." 

He answered that two could play at that game. 
All he wanted was that the mate should help him 
with his chest to the landing stage. Meanwhile a 
teamster with a pair of fine horses, who was on 
the outer edge of the crowd, was signaled to back 
up to the slide, with tailboard down, and our friend, 
sitting on his chest, shot down in a twinkling, and 
threw it into the wagon. Then a mistake was made. 
Instead of following his belongings, he ran around 
to mount the seat with the driver. Such a rapid 
descent amongst them surprised the slow-witted 
rascals, and they were inert for a second or two; 
but soon gathering their wits they made for our 
friend. He had gained a hold on the back rail of 
the seat with one hand while his foot rested on the 
step. The disengaged foot was grasped by one of 
the devils who tried to pull him down. With a 
firm hold on the rail, the foot on the step was 
swung around, striking the fellow on the jaw with 
such force that he laid down to think out what 
irresistible power had fouled his head. Our friend 
quickly mounted and sung out to the teamster to 
switch up his horses. They promptly obeyed, and 
all were rushed through the yelling gang safely. 
The driver was directed to a hotel where the events 



64 

of the moment were calmly thought over as being 
a trivial affair unworthy of mention except in a 
truthful history like this. 

This was the last voyage made as a sailor. Its 
joys and dangers were of the past, but it was many 
years before the old hankering for the sea, with all 
its charms and delights, entirely left the brain cells 
of the man, who had first experienced them as a 
boy. He had other duties to perform and they 
slowly developed ; but the many voyages he after- 
wards made as a passenger, had pleasure to him 
because of the knowledge gained of the deep seas 
and their wondrous beauties. If a landscape is once 
viewed, it always remains the same, no change, and 
one soon tires of a vision practically permanent. 
The sea, per contra, is ever changing; ever build- 
ing up a new vista that never repeats itself, thus 
enthralling the attention of one that loves the 
mighty waters. 

The oil was sold at a good price and all was 
deposited in a bank whose character was unknown 
to the depositor. It had an imposing appearance 
with all the earmarks of a solid financial institution. 
Inquiries were made the next day as to the reputa- 
tion of Mooney's bank. From all the sources of 
information at hand the reports were not good. It 
was considered too liberal in granting loans. It 
allowed twelve per cent, on deposits, which was 
known to be away beyond the earning capacity of 



65 

money. With this information the money was with- 
drawn and taken to another bank of undoubted 
security. Mooney's bank went up the flume with 
a crash in ten days, to the sorrow of many who 
wanted to get the most interest possible on their 
hoardings. 

An acquaintance was struck up with a stranger 
at this time who depicted in glowing language the 
amount of money that could be made from a small 
sum, if that sum was in possession, in a scheme that 
the stranger knew of. Castles in the air were built, 
and brilliant speech described all their splendor, 
overflowing with Aladdin richness that would have 
made the ancient lamp-rubber envious. A mine of 
untold wealth only awaited one that might be 
possessed of the needed wand which consisted of a 
small streak of gold. The eloquent flow of speech 
began to affect our friend. He tried hard to learn 
the nature and aim of the scheme, but was told it 
could not be unfolded before certain preparations 
were made. The stranger declared it was neces- 
sary to have a small seagoing vessel procured that 
could be managed by a person skilled in the arts 
of the sea, and seemed a little surprised when our 
friend informed him that he was possessed of those 
arts in addition to the filthy lucre required. A visit 
was made to a boat building firm who agreed to 
build a suitable craft for a sum well within the 
wealth owned ; then a decided stand was taken that 



66 

no further action would be taken before the nature 
of the business was divulged. The stranger de- 
clared that a delay was necessary ; but a firm stand 
for information brought out the fact that a piratical, 
smuggling scheme was intended, down the coast of 
Mexico, which would develop riches untold and 
again our friend was regaled with the splendid de- 
scriptions that had at first attracted his attention. 
They parted, both disappointed, the one with a bril- 
liant scheme that could not be tried, the other with 
a fellow being who had not digested the command- 
ments which were inscribed on the Tables of Stone. 



CHAPTER X. 

With money at command, a natural ambition to 
enter into some form of business possessed our 
friend. He shortly saw a newspaper advertisement 
of a partnership in the market business for sale. 
On interviewing the gentleman who wanted a part- 
ner, he found that the possession of brilliant argu- 
ments and a persuasive tongue was not limited to 
one who wanted to go bushwhacking along the 
Mexican coast. The stranger enlarged on the large 
profits to be made ; the impossibility of his attend- 
ing to the outside work and detail of overseeing the 



67 

salesmen and the accounts ; that he was forced to 
take a partner to help him ; that the business was 
increasing by leaps and bounds, and in a short time, 
by strict attention to the inflowing trade they would 
be rolling in wealth ; that he was sure our friend 
was the exact person he wanted, and for that reason 
he would sell an equal partnership for much less 
than it was worth. Truth and honesty was dis- 
played in all his glowing language and our friend, 
being green, fell under its power. 

He hastened to the bank, drew the necessary 
amount of money, and thence they proceeded to a 
lawyer who drew the documents that made him a 
business man with all that implied, with his name 
in gold lettering as one of a firm, and billheads 
printed in script, giving the name of a business 
house that would rank amongst the foremost mer- 
chants of town. All this made him happy, content- 
ed and proud ; but what an awakening was in store 
for him ! When he began to inspect the surround- 
ings and the people flowing past, but not in under 
the imposing sign, he began to realize that some 
men could lie without much effort. His partner 
was absent nearly all the time, claiming he was 
looking out for the outside business ; but as no out- 
side business was in evidence, the idea crept into the 
brain of our victimized friend that he had been 
swindled by the most consummate falsifier in San 
Francisco. On being accused of his deception, the 



68 

claim was made that in a day or two the tide would 
turn ; that he was going around amongst his friends 
who wanted our goods and they would soon be piling 
in to purchase. The next day a man came around 
the place, asking what was thought to be imperti- 
nent questions. He asked what was the value of 
stock carried; the daily sales and the net income. 
He was indignantly told that it was none of his 
business, whereupon he said that the partner had 
offered his interest for sale and that the inquiries 
were made to find out whether it was a good busi- 
ness proposition. 

Our friend felt abashed for not doing just what 
the stranger thought necessary ; but informed the 
questioner that the partner's interest was not for 
sale and could not be bought. The partner appeared 
shortly after and was informed that he could not 
sell his interest before our friend's share had been 
disposed of; that if he tried to do otherwise the 
whole fizzle would be shown up. The rascal be- 
came frightened and after much profanity, agreed 
to the proposition. Within two days a fellow he 
had hooked, put up the full sum that it had cost our 
friend to become partner. With only the loss of 
time, and with capital intact, he walked off, not 
now a business man, but with an experience that 
was worth many ducats in after life. He had found 
out that the confiding nature of a sailor was useless 
amongst the harpies that infest the land. 



69 

After this attempt to break into the business 
world, the experience proving so disagreeable, no 
action was taken in that line again for a long time. 
A position was taken with his old friends the print- 
ers, and becoming foreman of the press depart- 
ment, the time was fully occupied. He became a 
joiner and entered so many societies that there 
were not nights enough in the week to attend them 
all. The social life thus met with was thoroughly 
enjoyed. Home life at that time in the West had 
not crystallized as in older countries, so the people 
congregated more or less together in some form of 
public entertainment that was amusing or instruct- 
ive. Offices were thrust upon our friend in the 
various lodges, and he became a high muckey-muck 
in many of them, with high-sounding titles that 
would gladden the heart of an Indian potentate. 
On the whole it was a jolly life, well spent, for 
many were the acts of help and charity that glad- 
dened the hearts of those who had become stranded 
in the land of rainbow promises. The land of gold 
was a misnomer, for many found that all that glit- 
ters is not gold. Many, fagged in the pursuit, 
dropped by the wayside, worn and haggard from 
the wild struggle for that which only a very few 
attained. They then needed the helping hand that 
the various organizations gladly gave, for brotherly 
love was the touchstone of their existence. 

One high office attained required the memoriza- 



70 

tion of a book full of matter that seemed impossi- 
ble during the occupations of employment and the 
various duties of social life. Therefore, our friend 
went by steamer to Monterey and spent a week 
under the grand old trees, storing his mind with 
the words of wisdom. On his return he was letter 
perfect in the work and installed lodges in true and 
ancient form as a District Deputy Grand Master of 
the State of California. 

There was one institution, however, that proved 
disappointing. It was formed on a principle that 
was contrary to correct human nature. Its pre- 
cepts could not for all time be followed with hon- 
esty, therefore, a spirit of hyprocrisy was engen- 
dered that eventually proved so distasteful to our 
friend as to cause his withdrawal. Hypocrisy was 
always considered the most venal of sins and he 
detested it with a spirit of animosity. He entered 
into the work full of vim, determined to accom- 
plish all possible. Ladies and gentlemen were ad- 
mitted and for a long time proved very agreeable. 
Rapid advancement was made and soon the regalia 
of Grand Master of the State of California descend- 
ed upon his shoulders. He kept to the precepts, 
avoiding the holding of, and the tasting of the flow- 
ing bowl, eschewing all that would intoxicate. The 
millennium was approaching when intemperance 
with all its evils would be banished from the earth 
and no sin would remain. The occupation of the devil 



71 

would depart, thus ridding the world of his Satanic 
majesty. 

But what an awakening there was when on a 
certain New Year's Day the august official visited 
his sisters. It was raining fiercely, and a hack was 
necessary. The first sister called upon was a high 
official of the organization. Our friend was re- 
ceived graciously, but was informed that the wild 
weather required special precautions ; that they 
could not afiford to have their high potentate become 
unwell through its influence, therefore in addition to 
the lemonade in the front room, she had arranged in 
a back room certain stimulants that would protect 
against all the effects of dampness. Retiring to the 
back room a decanter containing the vile broth of 
the devil's brewing, sometimes called whiskey, ap- 
peared with the necessary glasses. Being invited 
to partake so as to avoid the dire disaster that 
would follow from the weeping skies, a sad but firm 
refusal followed. She said it was on account of 
the love of him, the honored head of the Order, that 
this preventive was provided. He found that 
every sister called upon that day offered the same 
potion, with the same reasons for partaking. It 
was fearful, and it was not long before the I. O. G. 
T's lost a grand officer by resignation. Our friend 
always believed in temperance, but such temperance 
as this society recommended and indorsed, was 
wrong. It made bigots of some few, hypocrites of 



72 

many, and a small proportion remained who were 
trying to act as honest people. The good things of 
this life are provided to use in moderation and it is 
useless for reformers to fly in the face of human de- 
sires to accomplish that which amounts only to the 
vice of meanness. 



CHAPTER XI. 

Amongst the employees in the printing office 
was a young Irish pressman, who at times caused 
considerable trouble, owing to careless actions ; but 
as he was the personification of good nature, he was 
always forgiven. He was a general favorite in the 
office. One day he invited our friend to attend his 
wedding, which was to occur that night. The time 
arrived and all the guests presented themselves. The 
wedding proved true to the old Irish ways. The 
poteen flowed generously and all were soon in a 
hilarious state of enjoyment. The bride and groom 
were toasted in words and spirits concerning their 
future happiness. The bride replied modestly with 
simple words that sounded well, coming as they did 
from a beautiful girl. The husband, however, was 
bold from the decoction imbibed. He loudly assert- 
ed that he was to be lord and master ; that the wife 
was to minister to his wants in every way as a 
dutiful helpmeet should. This was grand talk; but 



-71 

listen to the denouement. Something over one year 
afterwards our friend attended a pubHc picnic and 
saw the young husband with his wife and baby. 
She exclaimed : "Pat, go and get the lunch basket 
as the baby wants some milk, and don't stop to gas 
with anybody, as you usually do, but return 
quickly." 

Thus spake the wife to the lord and master that 
was to be. She was commander of the situation 
and he was content. 

Our friend attended many dancing parties and 
became an officer in a large club that was formed 
for the purpose of giving swell affairs. They were 
nicknamed the silk stocking club, on account of 
their high-toned affairs. Their entertainments 
proved very enjoyable, although the art of dancing 
waltzes had never been acquired. Only square 
dances were indulged in. One night a gentleman 
met our friend and said he wanted to introduce him 
to his sister. Of course, the only reason was to give 
the sister a dance. On meeting the lady, she handed 
out her program ; but unfortunately the card showed 
that she had given away all her square dances. She 
was informed of his inability to accomplish the waltz, 
the only one left, and a graceful departure was 
made. The incident was apparently closed to the 
satisfaction of all concerned. A dire result followed, 
however. While retiring from the presence of the 
lady, an old friend was met who said she wanted 



74 

to dance a waltz. She was informed that ignor- 
ance prevented. She insisted however, and before 
he knew it they were swinging around the hall in 
the graceful movement engendered by the enticing 
music, to the delight of those that witnessed, except 
the lady and her brother who sat watching the per- 
formance. The gentleman insisted that his sister 
had been grossly insulted by the refusal to take the 
waltz. He was informed that the dance was execu- 
ted entirely by the lady dancer ; that our friend was 
only carried around by her; and that she was the 
guilty party ; but excuses were not accepted. That 
gentleman was a personal enemy for many moons. 

One holiday a young tenderfoot expressed a 
desire to see the tabooed sights of San Francisco, 
and wished our friend to guide him amongst them. 
He was informed that the places were only known 
to the proposed guide by general report, and the 
news of the day; but that evening the two started 
to the underworld to view the events which are 
enacted in the glare of gaslights. They visited 
several places where vice abounds without meeting 
with anything except the usual drinking and carous- 
ing, when they descended to a noted dance hall, late 
in the night. Taking seats at a table, drinks were 
served by a *'lady" who asked for a dance, after 
imbibing an extra drink that was not called for. She 
was met with a refusal and started off. Just then a 
commotion was noticed in a distant part of the hall. 



75 

Loud voices were heard and soon a pistol barked, 
soon followed by other shots. This was more than 
bargained for and the two strangers darted for the 
stairs with their coat-tails in a horizontal position 
behind. Landing in the broad moonlight, policemen 
rushing to the underground hell was the culminating 
vision the tenderfoot and his guide had of the night's 
adventure. Whenever he was asked afterwards if he 
wanted to repeat the experience, he would say. 
''I pass. I have had enough." The next morning's 
papers reported that there were three men killed 
and two women mortally wounded that night in the 
delightful Palace of Pleasure, by which name it was 
called. 

One day while busily engaged in the office, a 
drunken bum sidled up to our friend and said, "Are 
you going to join us?" When asked what he meant, 
he said that all the printers were going to strike, 
and he, as walking delegate, was going around to 
get the men together. Now this man was a useless 
fellow who could not get employment in any office 
except when another man could not be found. His 
debaucheries were well known, and he was detested 
in every office in the city. The idea of such a 
man becoming the champion of the trade was 
peculiarly disagreeable. The printers of the Coast 
were enjoying the best of conditions. Their wages 
were high and the treatment most just. The fellow 
was told to get out. Replying in foul, saucy Ian- 



76 

guage, he was taken by the collar of his coat and 
the slack of his pantaloons, and was thrown quickly 
down the steep stairs. As he bounded from step 
to step in his downward flight, a momentary regret 
was felt that death would ensue ; but he picked him- 
self up at the bottom, uttering terrible threats. His 
exit was rapid and not graceful. The effect was 
salutary, however, for the strike never materialized. 
The proprietors of the printing office did a great 
deal of work for a land company who emitted the 
most elaborate descriptions of their holdings. One 
could not help getting wealthy if one took advantage 
of the offers. The land was certain to become valu- 
able, situated as it was at the junction of two im- 
portant railways. Great interests were forming to 
plant a large city on the property. In fact, after 
reading the glowing accounts, one would wonder 
at the philanthropy that prompted the owners to 
dispose of this great prospective wealth. Our 
friend tumbled and agreed to relieve the liberal 
owners of a section. After paying several install- 
ments, it appeared to be a good idea to view the 
splendid purchase. So on horseback the journey 
was made to Alameda County, and in the wilder- 
ness, after a long search, the location was found. 
The front was all right to the extent of ten feet; 
but unfortunately the metes and bounds beyond ex- 
tended over a vast gulch hundreds of feet deep, a 
splendid location for trestle work if one wanted 



n 



to get beyond; however, as landed property the 
purchase was a little disappointing. No further 
payments followed, and those which had been made 
were charged to experience, that valued teacher who 
inculcates the spirit of philosophy. 



CHAPTER XII. 

Our friend had been a long time in the office and 
began to be restless. The proprietors thought he 
was preparing to take one of his flights, so offered 
him a ten-day holiday. A holiday could not be ap- 
preciated except on the water. A schooner was 
found that was bound to the north of California for 
a load of lumber, a journey that could ordinarily 
be made within the time limit. Passage was en- 
gaged, and, happy as a lark, he appeared on board 
the vessel. To be off again on the beloved water 
was a treat that was thoroughly enjoyed in antici- 
pation. The vessel left the dock, and after the 
officers had got everything snug, the captain was 
offered a cigar. He said, ''No, I thank you, I always 
feel a little squeamish on leaving port." To have 
an old sea dog give that excuse was surprising. The 
mate was made the same offer when he declined, 
saying, ''I would throw up all that's in my stomach 
if I smoked." This was beyond belief, so a lonely 
cigar was enjoyed. 

The lovely shores of 'Frisco Bay were passed. 



78 

Shortly we sped through the Golden Gate, along 
the rough waters called the potato patch, thence up 
to and around Point Reyes, into the broad Pacific 
Ocean. Everything was greeted with joy, even the 
sea gulls hovering about the ship were thanked for 
their presence. A boy out of school could not be 
more hilarious. In beautiful weather we sailed 
along for many hours, in fact the port of the Noyo 
River, where we were bound, was almost reached, 
when a sneezer came out of the gathering clouds, 
causing the taking in of every inch of canvas. 
Under bare poles the boat was driven before it to 
the westward. Half the distance to Japan was cov- 
ered before the fierce gale abated. Then began the 
slow beating back to port. Many days were lost 
and when port was reached, it was found that the 
storm had washed the whole shooting match out. 
All the docks and stagings were no more. The load- 
ing of the schooner could not occur for at least a 
month. Our friend had long overstayed his time 
and determined on a ride overland to Eureka, where 
he was pretty sure to obtain passage for 'Frisco. 
The captain of the schooner told him to telegraph 
w^hether or no a cargo could be obtained in Eureka. 
If a cargo could be obtained in that port he would 
go and take it as he had plenty of time to deliver 
before wharfs could be built. 

The journey was a long one on horseback, from 
daylight in the morning to ten or twelve at night. 



79 

At four o'clock the next morning the start was made 
from a livery stable, where a horse was hired. The 
stable keeper, in answer as to where the horse 
should be left, gave a stable address in the town 
bound for. He stated that the roads were rough, 
and if the animal gave out to be sure that the saddle 
reached the haven. Horses were cheap in that 
country at the time, but the saddle was worth 
money. It had rained heavily and the soft dirt 
road was mucky, making progress far from rapid. 
It was far from a cheerful prospect this ride over 
the oozy, treacherous causeway, but necessity knows 
no law, and the journey had to be made. 

Proceeding slowly along our friend became very 
thirsty. He rode up to a man before a shack and 
asked him in a kindly manner for a drink from his 
well. The answer was: "You get," and in a 
threatening manner threw his hand around to his 

pistol pocket. "You slide off pretty d quick or 

I will load you with bullets." 

Such a reception was not expected, but as the 
brute seemed ready to carry out his threat, the better 
part of valor prompted a retreat. Miles were cov- 
ered and another citizen was noticed leaning up 
against his fence. The request for a drink was 
made. The answer came promptly: "Now, young 
fellow, I don't want to shoot, but if you do not 
vamose in an instant, my pistol will bark." Again 
the hand went for the gun. 



8o 

What was the matter? This was California hos- 
pitality with a vengeance. The mind could not com- 
prehend the reason for such treatment. The horse 
was urged along, up to his belly sometimes in the 
thick mud and dirty water. Disconsolate and weary, 
the traveler proceeded until again an inhabitant was 
noticed loitering in his yard. With becoming 
modesty the call for a drink of water was answered 
with a volume of oaths, followed by the words: 
'Tf you do not take your rascally carcass off down 
the road in a jiffy, it will be filled with lead so you 
cannot move." This time the pistol was in hand 
ready for execution. 

The traveler could do nothing but obey the 
order. Wild with thirst, and becoming very hungry, 
nothing having passed his lips but a cup of coffee 
since starting at four o'clock, and the time of twelve 
having arrived, rebellion against the conditions got 
in masterful control of his system, and when he 
met another settler who ordered the traveler to 
make tracks with the usual threats, he could not 
stand the game any longer. Sliding off his horse, 
a demand for the reason for such treatment was 
made. Thundering out the words, "You are after 
the wrong fellow — you are taking me for somebody 
else ; I am a printer on a holiday and here are papers 
proving the statement." With these remarks forci- 
bly uttered, the fellow began to weaken. He told 
the stranger to come into the shack to show the 



8i 

papers. This was quickly done and with the advant- 
age gained, our friend followed it up with an addi- 
tional verbal evidence that seemed to be convincing. 
The horse was led to fodder, and the settler then 
prepared some bacon and eggs. A happy condition 
of confidence seemed secure, but while the traveler 
was getting outside of the food provided, the fellow 
pulled out a description. He read : "A young fellow 
of fair complexion, about five feet, eight and a half 
inches high, weighs about one hundred and fifty 
pounds, has a scar over his right eye." Looking at 
the traveler, he sang out with an oath : 

"You are the man." 

''No, I am not." 

"Yes, you are." 

And then eloquence was expended with convinc- 
ing power until the settler was thoroughly satisfied. 
The reason was then given for the outrageous treat- 
ment received by the traveler. Along the road all 
were squatters who had taken up lands before they 
were surveyed. The State had issued school script 
which was sold in the open market. Those pur- 
chasing the school script could plaster it upon any 
public surveyed land not already sold. These men 
had got a description of a young man from San 
Francisco who was expected to issue dispossession 
papers against the squatters in the interest of some 
people of 'Frisco. The settlers had met together and 
agreed to shoot the messenger on sight. Certainly 



82 

our friend was described accurately, and why he 
was not shot is an enigma. These men were rough 
and careless of life, but the idea of killing one in 
cold blood was revolting. Perhaps they thought 
some one else would perform the deed, thus reliev- 
ing their conscience of the action. 

The squatter informed the traveler that he had 
convinced him of his pacific intentions, but others 
further along might shoot, therefore he thought it 
best to accompany him. Saddling his horse, they 
proceeded. Shortly another armed man was met. 
He sang out : 

''You have got the rascal?" 

"No, I haven't, he has proved clear." 

Thus they proceeded. Every short distance they 
were challenged, but the kind friend proved a friend 
indeed, and they were allowed to pass. The dark- 
ness of night overshadowed them, when three horse- 
men were seen approaching from the opposite direc- 
tion. They had just come out of the town to which 
our friend was bound. They immediately turned 
their horses, surrounding the traveler and sang out: 
"You have got the limb of the law, let's swing him 
up." But the friend again put in a disclaimer. 
Then the traveler did something he had never done 
before in public, he gave the sign of distress, as 
taught in a secret order. The riders, noticing the 
sign, quickly cried out as with one voice, "You bet 
he is all right," and grasping his hand in brotherly 



83 

token, they all declared that they would return to 
town and give the new found brother the time of 
his life. It was not until the wee, small hours of 
the morning that our friend could get clear from 
the brothers. They were determined to make him 
forget the dire experiences of the trip. 

Early in the morning inquiries were made as to 
the possibility of getting a cargo for the schooner, 
but this was found impossible for the great storm 
had weather-bound many vessels and they had cor- 
ralled all the freight of the port, tlierefore, a tele- 
gram was sent to the captain stating that no cargo 
could be obtained. The statement was also made 
that his passenger would take the first vessel bound 
for 'Frisco. 



CHAPTER XIII. 

The vessels were all lying out in the bay, and 
the only connection with them was by a tugboat 
resting alongside the dock. Our friend went aboard 
and told the captain to put him on the first vessel 
that left port. It was the custom to bend on a 
hawser and pull the craft out to the bar, where sail 
would be made. The gruff old captain answered the 
request in a voice that sounded more like a growl 
than usual speech — ''All right." After a short delay 
the tug proceeded to the largest craft in the bay. 
It was the Harvest Queen, a vessel noted all 



84 

around the coast as being perfectly appointed, with 
splendid accommodations for passengers. The cap- 
tain, after pulling the vessel to the bar, did not run 
alongside for the passenger to jump aboard, but sig- 
naled for the hawser to be cast off, then steamed 
for the next craft. Our friend was boiling with 
rage. Rushing up to the old man in a temper, he 
hollered out, *'I told you to place me on the first 
vessel outbound, and the only one fitted up for pas- 
sengers has gone." 

The reply was quick and sharp. ''Shut up! If 
you don't keep quiet I will throw you overboard." 
It was no use to argue the case with such a brute. 
It was a case of must. Shortly the line was passed 
to an old lumber droger, piled with a deck load that 
sank the deck awash in the water. After pulling 
her to the bar, the tug ran alongside and the captain 
sang out, "Jump, you young devil, jump." 

The order was obeyed. Landing on the rail he 
climbed up on the lumber and was met by the mate 
who sang out, "What are you doing here?" 

On being told that passage to 'Frisco was demand- 
ed he replied : "You are a fool. There are no ac- 
commodations. You will have to sleep on top of 
the deck load." 

Our friend quietly pulled out a twenty dollar gold 
coin and said : "Is this good for a bunk?" 

The reply was short, and decisive : "Yes, by 
thunder, you can have mine for that sum." 



8s 

All was serene, and after a passage, comparatively 
pleasant, the old hulk wallowed up to the dock in 
good old San Francisco harbor after a ten days' holi- 
day that had stretched out to five weeks. 

Going to the office, he was well received— with 
joy in fact, for his services were in demand. The 
only remaining partner, for his companion had left 
him, was taken sick with smallpox the day after our 
friend departed, and had just returned from the 
hospital thoroughly cured and enjoying the best of 
health, as is always the case with patients recovering 
from that awful disease. 

A short time after his return, our friend in a 
social assemblage, met the complete counterpart of 
himself, the same build, complexion and with a scar 
over the right eye. The resemblance was startling. 
Entering into conversation with his double, it was 
found out that he was a lawyer and had a commis- 
sion to place school script on the same delectable 
spot that had caused so much misery to the party 
of the first part. He was informed of the narrow 
escape from being shot. Replying, he informed 
that the party employing him changed the plans 
just before the execution to another place, thus giv- 
ing our friend his chance of being ventilated. 

About three months after the memorable jour- 
ney, a man was met on Second street who appeared 
to be drunk. He kept moving from side to side, 
facing our friend, who became annoyed. He sang 



86 

out to the fellow to get out of the way and sober up. 
The reply came, ''Aren't you in Davy Jones' locker? 
Aren't you a ghost?" 

"Why, no, you drunken fool. Vamose." 

"Don't you know me? I was the mate of the 
vessel on which you made the trip to Noyo river." 

Looking at the fellow sharply, who was in his 
shore toggery, he was recognzed. He said, "Didn't 
you telegraph to the captain that you would take 
the first vessel that went out of port? The first craft 
out was the Harvest Queen. She has never been 
heard of since." 

Explanations were made and the mystery was 
solved for the mate ; but the mystery was never 
solved in regard to this vessel sailing over the bar 
and disappearing into oblivion with all souls aboard. 
Not a hatch or any floating article belonging to the 
ship ever appeared. The weather was fine; no 
storms could have been met on her passage. It was 
an enigma never to be solved until the mighty deep 
gives up its secrets. 

What prompted the tug captain to refuse to put 
the passenger upon a vessel with splendid cabins 
and thrust him on a pile of lumber, has perplexed 
the mind of our friend ever since. Was it caused 
by his own volition, or the small voice of some om- 
niscient power acting on his subconsciousness, tell- 
ing him not to place the stranger where he would 
certainly go down to a watery grave; but to give 



87 

him a chance to reach safety, though it might be in 
an uncomfortable manner? This is beyond the 
philosophy of the human mind. The present and 
past is knowable, but the future is hidden in a mist 
that cannot be fathomed by man, although he 
claims to be immortal. 

- Our friend took an active interest in the affairs 
of San Francisco, political, social and religious. He 
joined a large Episcopal church having one thou- 
sand Sunday School scholars, and became its libra- 
rian. Eventually, thanks to the ladies who have the 
right to vote in that denomination, he was elected 
a vestryman. All seemed lovely, and the sun shone 
bright. One day when engaged in the library, the 
superintendent of the Sunday School said to him: 
"There is a lady teacher absent, this is the first time, 
and I fear she has been taken sick. Could you take 
her class, who are all present?" 

The answer was : "Yes, it is a little out of my 
line, but I will do the best possible." So, on intro- 
duction to the class, he found a lot of boys from five 
years old upwards. The lesson was gone over very 
easily as it was all printed, but the trouble com- 
menced when it was ended. As soon as that oc- 
curred a little kid piped out: 

"Teacher, at this time the lady always asks us if 
we want to ask any questions." 

"All, right," the reply came, "fire away." 

"Well, if a boy was going along the street and 



another boy struck him on the face, what should 
he do?" 

The answer was, ''If he was a smaller boy, why 
don't mind it ; but if of the same size or larger, then 
pitch in and thrash him, if you can." 

The superintendent was just back of the acting 
teacher at the time and overheard the remarks. 
Touching our friend on the shoulder, he said : "I 
am afraid you are not cut out for a Sunday School 
teacher. The library needs your attention." 

What sane man or healthy boy could consider any 
other action? The hypocrisy of certain forms of 
religion tries to teach otherwise, but such teachings 
fall on unfruitful soil. If fruitful the result would 
be the production of a cowardly race that would be 
despised of all. 



CHAPTER XIV. 

The old desire to enter business came over our 
friend. He noticed a patented article that had con- 
siderable sale in the Eastern markets, but which was 
not known in the West. He naturally thought the 
Western market should be opened up. Therefore, 
he wrote to the manufacturer that the sale could 
be promoted and the article introduced to the mutual 
profit of both. After a time the agency of the goods 
was offered and accepted, and a lot of the goods 
sent around the Horn. On arrival, our friend took 



89 

time from his duties in the office to interview the 
trade. He soon found out the goods were known, 
although not sold. He was met with refusals, with 
the statement that no more was wanted as they were 
worthless. They all had small lots and had con- 
demned them because they would not work. Sur- 
prised and mystified, he soon found out that all were 
purchased of one jobber. On interviewing this 
dealer, information was obtained that a long time 
previously a lot of the goods were received by water 
freight and distributed in small lots all over Cali- 
fornia — that the customers were dissatisfied and de- 
manded of the jobber the privilege of returning 
them. This was objected to, but many refused to 
pay the bills. In fact, the experience was such that 
the jobber did not want to see one of the articles 
again. 

All this information w^ould have dampened the 
ardor of almost any one, but our friend was 
not built that way. His optimistic and pug- 
nacious mind only saw a fight ahead to over- 
come the bad repute in which the article had fallen. 
He got the dealer to go over his books and make out 
a list of every customer to whom the goods had been 
sold. With this list in hand he made trips all over 
California and interviewed the purchasers. He 
found that the same fault showed up in every in- 
stance. The lot of goods had been stowed in the 
lower hold against the skin of the ship. All had 



90 

come in contact with bilge water and were rusted so 
the working parts would not act ; a sorry lot of goods 
indeed. The worthless stuff was all gathered in and 
replaced with perfect goods without any cost to 
the merchant. Satisfaction was engendered and 
gradually orders came in for more goods. Things 
began to look lovely. 

Soon it became evident that our friend could not 
retain his connection with the office. He was losing 
too much time, A young man whom he was ac- 
quainted with urged that a partnership should be 
formed with him to prosecute the business. Persua- 
sion carried the day and a new firm was introduced 
to the market. The partner placed in the under- 
taking very little money. The experience of the 
past was overlooked. The sharking episode had 
been conducted profitably without a partner, and 
the market business, with a partner, had been dis- 
astrous ; but the new line seemed at the time to 
require doubling up. The result proved unsatis- 
factory in the end. The young man was industri- 
ous, but had no business ability at all. Such a man 
as a workman, could have been obtained for much 
less than an equal partner was entitled to draw from 
the firm. When the lawyer was drawing up the 
papers, our friend insisted that the words, ''No 
member of the firm acting for himself or for the 
firm, shall go on a bond or indorse a note for the 
benefit of others." This provision in the partner- 



91 



ship compact saved the firm from destruction after- 
wards when it got in good condition. A mutual 
friend was elected to a poHtical office that required 
a large bond. He applied for the indorsement of 
the firm. It seem.ed reasonable to give the same, for 
his standing was high ; but no, the agreement pre- 
vented. Before the expiration of his term, this 
good man went wrong ; defaulted, and if compelled 
to pay the bond, the new firm would have been 
pushed to the wall. 

It was slow work, but the business began to show 
the energy expended. It was increasing in volume. 
About this time our friend went into a large whole- 
sale house and was offered the very goods for which 
he was supposed to have the exclusive agency. This 
was a terrible blow. It can be supposed that it had 
cost no small sum of money to travel over the State 
replacing the faulty goods, advertising and making 
a market. When success was beginning to be felt, 
although not to a paying extent, to have the goods 
coming in through others, was a disappointment 
hard to bear. It was seen that other articles had to 
be taken in from which profit could be obtained. 
Therefore, the stock was increased so that in time 
a general house furnishing business was done, and 
after three removals, the establishment was doing 
a flourishing trade in a large store on the principal 
business street of the city. 

Our friend's connection with the church as vestry- 



92 

man and member had to be severed as the brothers, 
sisters and deacons, flocked in, running up bills 
that would escape their memories afterwards. On 
being prayerfully urged for payment, their excuses 
were various, but all meant maiiana, a Spanish 
word meaning to-morrow, or the day after judg- 
ment. So, sorrowfully, orders were given not to 
sell except for cash, any customer who pleaded 
church connections as a reason for credit. It was 
thought better to get cash in this world than to build 
up credit in the world to come. The wisdom of 
this action showed up in a full cash drawer instead 
of the depleted receptacle, to meet the bills that 
had to be met as they came in, like the falling leaves 
of autumn, every steamer day. 

This making steamer day collections in this 
country, was a relic of the time when two steamers 
a month sailed into port from Panama. All pay- 
ments were made on those days. If a customer 
could not settle his account on steamer day, then it 
naturally laid over for the next, as no attempt was 
made to collect between. This system was kept up 
for many years after the communication was opened 
by rail and the old steamer days became of no 
moment. 

When the time and condition warranted, our 
friend got spliced — that is, married. In due course 
of events a baby girl came to the parents. She 
proved later in life to be a chip ofif the old block, 



93 



proud to advance, and with talents that commanded 
attention. 

Business required a trip to San Pedro, therefore, 
a steamer was taken to that port. After a few days 
the return passage was made. That port had in- 
creased in importance very much during the few 
years since the former visit. Going aboard the 
steamer, she was soon headed for the north. That 
part of the coast was very famihar to our friend 
as he knew every headhne, bay, and landmark. 
They were as plain to him as an open book. One 
evening he overheard the captain tell the mate on 
going below for the night, "to keep the same course 
until morning." The wheel was aft and curiosity 
prompted him to take a look at the compass to see 
the course steered. It was immediately noticed 
that something was wrong— that the continuous 
sailing of the ship on that course was impossible, 
as long before morning the false bay of Monterey 
would open out, and if the vessel ran amongst the 
jagged rocks of that locality, the loss of the steamer 
would surely follow, and most likely all on board 
would be drowned. Our friend went up to the mate 
and informed him that he had heard the captain's 
order, and also told him that if the course was run 
until morning, the vessel would be at least twenty 
miles inshore. The reply was sharp and disagreea- 
ble: *T guess we know how to run the steamer; 
mind your own business." 



94 

With such a rebuff the only thing to do was to 
watch and wait. Sleep was impossible. When 
the midwatch came on deck and the lookout was 
relieved, our friend went forward and told the new 
man to keep his eye peeled, as breakers would soon 
appear on a very dangerous coast. The lookout 
replied that he had not been cautioned by the offi- 
cer on deck of the approach of land, as is the cus- 
tom on ship. He was informed that land zms ahead, 
and that it would be quite a feather in his cap if he 
was first to make it out. The sailor was impressed 
and promised to look out sharp. These were anxi- 
ous moments. The many lives aboard were at stake. 
They were sleeping soundly, oblivious of the great 
danger in the near distance. The mate had re- 
ceived his orders from the captain and they had to 
be obeyed blindly. No criticism of that authority 
could be indulged in. Since that time the one-man 
power has been lessened a bit by the maritime au- 
thorities especially after the captain of the Ameri- 
can liner Paris, long afterwards, left Cherbourg, 
France, and sailed directly on the English coast, 
wrecking his vessel. His excuse was that he had 
taken his departure from the wrong light. Now, 
both the captain and the mate must agree on a 
course. The discussion that would naturally arise 
would tend to avoid the faults caused by such an 
aberration of the mind that sometimes occurs when 
one authority is supreme. 



95 

The ship contmued to forge along. Our friend 
was in the waist of the vessel looking with intense 
interest ahead for the appearance of white water. 
The wind had increased to a sharp topsail breeze, 
producing a heavy sea that must make the coast 
terrific. Both he and the lookout were on the job, 
however, and just before one o'clock each one sang 
out at the same instant, "Breakers ahead!" Sharp 
and authoritative rang out the order from the mate 
to the man at the wheel, *'Hard up," and the vessel 
quickly obeyed the helm. She swung around, her 
stern pounding in the white water. It was a narrow 
escape, but the craft with all on board were saved. 

After the excitement of escaping the rocks, when 
the ship had made her offing and had started on her 
safe and correct course, the mate came to our friend 
pleading that he should not say anything about the 
error. He said that the old man was to take a new 
ship the following voyage, and that the mate was 
to be captain of the present one. A report of the 
case would ruin both lives. The man was told that 
such a gross blunder should be advertised ; but after 
much urging and prayers, the promise was given 
that nothing would be said about the affair as long 
as our friend remained on the coast. Such a deci- 
sion was not according to justice, but the blind God- 
dess often demands that which good fellowship has 
reason to refuse. 



CHAPTER XV. 

Among the acquaintances of our friend was a 
family consisting of the parents and a grown up 
daughter. It was observed that the daughter was 
gradually declining in health, becoming more peaked 
looking every time she was noticed. The mother 
was so informed and was told that something was 
wrong. The reply was that the daughter insisted 
upon teaching and trying to convert to Christianity 
a class of grown up Chinamen, a labor of love, 
undertaken in true missionary spirit, without re- 
muneration, looking to Heaven for a reward. The 
vile smell of opium-smoking Celestials was under- 
mining her health; but she insisted upon carrying 
on the work. No argument or entreaty could in- 
duce her to desist. Our friend met the daughter 
and urged her to let the heathen go their own way, 
that to try to convert them was a hopeless task, 
and that on the whole, their religion was the best 
for them. She was informed of the fact that those 
people looked upon the white man's doctrines with 
disgust, and that they were only trying to learn 
English so that they could earn more money. She 
was asked if there was a man amongst them that 
showed the least evidence of being affected by her 
teachings. 

''Oh, yes," was the reply. "There is Sing Lee, 
he is a Christian. I have converted him." 



97 



''What, the Sing Lee that keeps a wash hoiise in 
Minna street?" 

''Yes, that is the one. He has given himself to 
Christ and I am greatly encouraged." 

The next day our friend concluded to interview 
the Christianized Chinaman at his place of business. 
Some people cannot tell one negro from another, 
but say all ''niggers look alike to them;" but our 
friend from his long contact with the Celestials 
could tell them apart and readily recognized their 
individual peculiarities. Arriving at the wash house, 
he met Sing Lee and asked him in pigeon English: 
"You likee go to school?" 
"Velle, velle, me learnee Englie." 
"Do you likee teacher?" 

"Velle nicee. She good littie ," 

using a profane epithet unprintable. The next 
instant the Chinaman was lying on the floor. Some- 
thing must have hit him. For such hypocritical 
beings a young woman was wearing out her life 
in endeavoring to make them see things the same 
way as she saw them after many generations of 
teaching that had ingrained itself in her very being. 
She believed in the doctrines that she tried to incul- 
cate in the Chinamen; but they had been brought 
up under a different set of beliefs that had been in- 
grained in their systems through many more hun- 
dred years than the new dogmas, brought to their 
attention. Which are best for them should be left 



98 

to their own consciences. Missionary efifort has ac- 
compHshed some good in the world, but has pro- 
duced a great deal more harm. The endeavor to 
proselyte has antagonized the different peoples and 
has led to many wars that have deluged the lands 
with blood. This opinion has been arrived at after 
extensive reading; but more especially after actual 
experiences in different parts of the world where 
missionary effort was in evidence. Many who 
think they have been called by a Superior Power 
to proselyte, have not that peculiar power that 
might be called humanity, the lacking of which 
produces estrangement instead of human sympathy. 
They repel, instead of creating a bond of union. 
They keep their dogmas in mind and lose sight of 
the grand power of love that is the basis of all true 
religion. And, also, the vast number of dogmas 
that different men endeavor to inculcate, perplex 
the taught, and make them wonder as to which is 
the true. As one of them informed our friend, "You 
people who are trying to change our beliefs, have 
innumerable prisons ; the inmates are increasing 
rapidly although many more, equally guilty, remain 
outside augmenting the percentage of crime enor- 
mously. Lying, stealing, lust, murder, and all the 
brutal instincts are in evidence in your Christian 
country, more, in fact, than in this, that you are 
trying to proselyte. What will be the gain?" 
It would seem best for the missionaries to Chris- 



99 



tianize their own country first, so that it will show 
up as a true model for others to follow. A very 
good piece of advice, often given, is to ''Mind your 
own business and others will take care of their 

own." 

Going back to the young lady teacher, she was 
informed of the result of the interview with the 
Godlike Sing Lee, and was told that the old sin- 
ner was only trying to get a knowledge of English, 
that he was pretending to be converted, as a cloak, 
and our friend again urged her to give up the work 
she was engaged in; but no, she had faith. She 
died in seven or eight months, a martyr to a mis- 
conception of her duty. 

Our friend belonged to an institution that had 
as a fellow-member a young man who had worked 
hard in establishing a business from which he ob- 
tained, at this time a good income. He had never 
taken a vacation, but concluded as he had every- 
thing in shape, to go up to Red Woods for a well- 
deserved rest and relaxation. He purshased a 
valuable shotgun and fishing tackle, and started in 
good spirits for the land of recreation. His wife 
and family did not hear from him and naturally 
got alarmed concerning his safety. All loved the 
man as he was a cheery, whole-souled, noble charac- 
ter, who took up with spirit the various activities 
that the society was noted for. The wife, one of 
the best of women, informed the mutual friends 



100 

of the Order concerning the long absence and the 
anxiety created by it. Amongst the members was 
an ex-sheriff of a northern county who was one of 
the bravest of men and had the love and respect of 
all that knew him. He was for years the largest 
building contractor in San Francisco. The society 
appointed him, with a companion, to go up to the 
Red Woods to try, if possible, to locate our missing 
member. The committee returned in five days with 
a full report. They had not been in the locality 
more than one day when they heard of a greaser 
who had, when in his cups, made mention of a 
stranger who had met his death by his hand. The 
clue was followed up and soon he was found in a 
shanty with others of the same sort. On entering, 
they found the shotgun that was stolen. The fellow 
was immediately arrested, and under natural per- 
suasion, admitted the murder. He was taken to the 
spot and located the body under a mass of soft 
earth. Then, without fuss and feathers, he became 
an ornament to a tree, hanging there like an ex- 
clamation point, giving emphasis to the injunction, 
'Thou shalt not kill." This was all done quietly 
and with due decorum, no grand jury or term jury, 
no lawyers or judges lost any time in the proceed- 
ings; appeals were out of order, but true justice 
was satisfied. 

The committee brought the body of their deceased 
comrade with them on their return, and he received 



lOI 

the burial rites of the Order in due form. This 
was another case where the man and brother theory- 
did not jibe when a greaser was in the case. 

A telegram was received by our friend from his 
wife stating that she was sick on a ranch where 
she was summering, up in the foothills of Sonoma 
County. Therefore, she had to be reached by cross- 
ing the bay and taking a team to the destination. 
On arriving at the livery stable it was found that 
a driver could not be obtained on account of its 
being a holiday. A good pair of horses was fur- 
nished, and a diagram of the trip was laid out so 
that no mistake could be made as regards the road. 
A start was made just before dusk. The last in- 
junction was given not to use the whip on the ani- 
mails as they were frisky. Slow progress up the 
mountain was made. It became so dark that the 
horses heads could not be seen. They were driven 
with slack lines so that they would depend upon 
themselves for direction. After several hours, the 
horses refused to go any further. They stood stock 
still. All urging was useless. Our friend got 
aggravated, and just as he was ready to grasp the 
whip, a voice came back from the front, saying in 
maudlin tones: ''What ish the masher?" 

It was evident that the driver in a stalled team 
ahead, had been lying in a drunken sleep on his 
box. "Get out of the way. Start up your team." 

Soon the creaking sound ahead denoted the move- 



102 

ment and the fellow called back: "Whar's yous 
going?" 

He was given the information, rather tartly, and 
the procession moved along. Then the command 
came out of the darkness, *'Pull yer right rein." 

On this side was a blank stone cutting extend- 
ing up indefinitely, so the order was not immedi- 
ately obeyed. Again the order came in imperative 
tones : ''Pull yer right rein, damn ye." 

Spasmodically the order was obeyed and our 
friend made a sharp turn up a road that he could 
not have possibly found in the blackness without 
help. Therefore, giving the teamster a parting 
benediction, he proceeded up to the ranch. 

The next morning, with his wife nicely stowed 
in the landau, the start was made for the city. 
When they got to the place on the road where the 
team had been met the previous night, it was found 
that two wheels of the landau were within six 
inches of a steep, rocky descent of at least three 
hundred feet. If the whip had been used on those 
skittish horses, they would, in prancing, have 
dashed all below on the rocks, to inevitable death. 



CHAPTER XVI. 

What was known as the Amador War occurred 
about this time. The miners had struck in the 
mines of Sutter Creek, Amador County, and re- 
fused to allow others to work. They stopped the 
pumps taking out the water from the deep workings 
and they were beginning to be flooded. This action 
would have destroyed those mines, thus causing 
immense loss to the owners, also great misery to 
the population that depended entirely on the mines 
for support. The Governor ordered the militia 
battalion that our friend belonged to, up in the dis- 
turbed region. Only three hours were allowed the 
men for preparation. When the orders to march 
reached his store he was out, and on his return in 
about one hour, hurried arrangements were made 
to leave the business. It was hard work and he 
got to the armory after the battalion had left for 
the ferry. Hurriedly donning his uniform, a rush 
was made to catch up. Arriving at the ferry, he 
found out that the boat had pulled out a distance 
of at least six feet. Springing across the opening 
with a powerful effort, he landed on deck, back 
down, with a thump that caused momentary in- 
sensibility. 

The battalion was armed with old Springfield 
muzzle loading rifles. These were retained in the 
armory, and sixteen shot automatic rifles were 



104 

given the men on the boat ; also each man was given 
two navy revolvers to hang on his belt. After 
leaving the boat, cars were taken for a long dis- 
tance, after which the troops tramped up the 
mountain roads. 

A comical event happened when the men came 
upon a toll gate attended by a woman. She would 
not allow the army to pass until toll was paid. 
Arguments were of no avail — pay or no passage. 
The boys wanted to tear away the gate, but the 
officers collected the necessary amount and then 
forged ahead. 

Soon a deep cut in the road was met. Some 
striking miners were collected high up on the sides. 
They began to fire off their pistols, mostly hurrah 
shots however, although some of the balls fell 
amongst the boys. Our friend was the only one 
in the force who had been under fire. He noticed 
a wavering and felt that a stampede was imminent. 
That would have been bad for the troop ; therefore 
he sang out. 'The first man that starts for the 
rear will be shot." 

The boys heard, and bracing up, marched through 
to the first camp ground. The Sibley tents were 
pitched and the boys placed their rifles around the 
centre poles, hanging their belts with the two pistols 
on them over the muzzles. Soon a call was made 
that caused our friend to get his accoutrements. 
He went to take his belt and pistols, and as he did 



105 



so he touched the adjoining belt that had not been 
correctly attached so that it fell down. The butt 
of a pistol struck on a rock which caused it to 
explode. The ball went straight upwards, passing 
through the visor of his cap and could not have 
been more than one-eighth of an inch from his 
head. A close call, rather. 

Then commenced a month of the most arduous 
duties, more exacting than those of a like period 
at any time during the Rebellion. Every night the 
whole force was on guard duty. The troops were 
split up in detachments guarding the various mines, 
subject to nightly alarms that caused irritation, but 
no actual bloodshed occurred. 

Although the duty was irksome, still there oc- 
curred some sport and diversion. One rainy night 
a dude of a lieutenant was officer of the day and at 
twelve o'clock it was his duty to make the guard 
rounds. Our friend was waiting for him on his 
post. He heard in the distance his approach to 
the various guards, and, on request, giving the 
countersign without descending from the horse that 
he rode. It is an invariable military rule for a 
guard to prevent the approach of a mounted man 
closer than the end of his bayonet on his rifle. The 
countersign is always to be given in a whisper, there- 
fore for the safety of the guard, the countersign 
must always be given when dismounted. The lieu- 
tenant approached. Soon was heard : 



io6 



"Who comes there?" 

"Grand rounds." 

"Advance grand rounds, dismount and give the 
countersign." 

The Heutenant continued to walk his horse for- 
ward. The rifle was brought down to charge and 
an ominous cHck of the trigger heard. "Dismount" 
came the imperative word. 

The Heutenant was bundled up in a raincoat 
and disliked to obey in the heavy rain. He was 
green and did not know the rules of the service. 
He exclaimed : "You know me. I am lieutenant 
of your company." 

"Dismount, or I will shoot." 

The officer, growling, slipped off the horse and 
approaching, gave the countersign. He then, when 
remounting, swore that he would report the im- 
pertinent sentry. He did, and only got for his 
pains the order to learn his duties. 

There was in the battalion a man untidy in dress 
and manners ; but otherwise a good fellow. The 
boys determined to have some fun at his expense. 
He was arrested in burlesque. A regular court, in 
due form, was impaneled with our friend acting 
as judge. The culprit was charged with the crime 
of "Not spitting beyond his chin." The trial pro- 
ceeded with witnesses on both sides. He was con- 
victed, and the judge sentenced him to be tossed in 
a blanket. The penalty was carried out with great 



I07 



spirit and energy. After the culprit was let off, 
some inane rascal sang out, "What is the matter 
with giving the judge a spell?" It was unanimously 
agreed to and in a second the august judge was in 
the blanket being tossed up, with his arms and legs 
so mixed that he could hardly tell one from the 
other. No man who has not experienced the act 
of being tossed in a blanket can conceive of its dia- 
bolical nature. 

The troops returned to San Francisco after a 
month's drilling, tough and hearty, thoroughly 
broken into shape as true soldiers. They had slept 
on the ground and eaten the rough rations with a 
relish. They marched amid the applause of the 
multitude up to the armory with the spirit and step 
of true veterans. The strike had been declared off 
and everything was lovely. 

It was the custom of our friend after he got his 
business in condition, to pass about ten days up m 
the foothills of the Sierra Nevada Mountains hunt- 
ing. A party would be gotten together by one who 
liked that kind of work. He would buy the neces- 
sary tickets, arrange for the teams and purchase 
the provender of all kinds. After the return the 
costs would be distributed pro rata. It was sur- 
prising how economical the arrangement was to 
each member. The game was deer, bears, wild cats, 
or anything else that walked on four legs. Some- 
times the return would be made with full bags; 



io8 

sometimes the only result worthy of mention would 
be the elastic step and the hearty appetites of men 
who had walked over the blue, distant hills, eager 
to breathe the rarified air that produced a rejuve- 
nating influence, dispelling the cobwebs that are 
inclined to form in the brains of city workers. 

One time, after getting into the mountains, the 
mud wagon was slowly proceeding upwards. The 
sun had set on the team ; but in a deep gulch run- 
ning east and west, its rays shone through. At its 
bottom, at least six hundred yards off, our friend 
noticed a jackass rabbit seated on a rock. The 
illumination made the fellow loom up to a great 
size. He ordered the team to stop. Grasping his 
rifle, and after getting a good bead on the beast, he 
fired. The rabbit remained in position. The shot 
might just as well have gone off in the next county 
as far as the animal was concerned. 

Our friend, wondering how he could have missed 
the game, stated that he would bet a twenty dollar 
gold piece that he had hit the animal. Another 
member of the party, who was a splendid shot, sang 
out : 'T will take that bet. You could not hit a barn 
door," and at the same time brought up his rifle. 
He fired, and the rabbit fell over dead. 'That is 
the way to shoot," he exclaimed, "hand over your 
twenty dollars." No! the bet was that the rabbit 
was hit, and the only way to prove otherwise was 
for the man to go down and get the beast. With 



109 

much grumbling he started down the rough, rock- 
strewn declivity. On returning, with hands cut on 
the rocks and pantaloons torn, he threw the rabbit 
at the feet of the driver, demanding again the money 
in aggravated tones. Our friend took up the animal 
and found in addition to the bullet hole through his 
body, that a ball had made a fresh passage through 
one of his long ears, thus proving that the first shot 
had taken effect. All considered it strange that the 
animal remained in position, but concluded that the 
bet, as made, demanded the payment to our friend 
instead of the other party. The money was paid 
over with sorrowful memories of the rough descent 
and climb. 

Fishing parties were made up occasionally. A 
tug would be chartered to go outside the heads for 
a day's sport. A number of these had occurred at 
various times; but there would always be more or 
less seasickness aboard, causing discomfort to the 
rest. One day a friend came into the store of our 
friend and told him that another fishing excursion 
was being organized ; but to avoid the possibility 
of seasickness, only seasoned mariners would be in- 
vited. The time arrived and there was a nice party 
aboard of the tug. They were all gay, and anticipating 
the best of times, the departure was made through 
the Golden Gate, or the heads as they were famil- 
iarly called. Then commenced a circus. The water 
was in a naughty mood. Cross, choppy seas would 



no 



throw the tug ahnost perpendicular, and before she 
reached an even keel again, would broach to, send- 
ing green water over the rail, making her roll horri- 
bly. No fishing could be done. Soon all were try- 
ing to hold down what they had, without any desire 
to acquire fish or other outside things. In fact, the 
only ones not terribly seasick were our friend and 
the one that had gotten up the party. No future 
endeavors were made in the direction of fishing 
parties. All had enough and were satisfied to re- 
main on tcri'a firma. 



CHAPTER XVII. 

Our friend's business was flourishing and the 
future looked rosy. He wished to add another 
branch to his manufacturing plant, and thought that 
a trip East would be advisable to obtain the latest 
developments as shown up in the large Eastern fac- 
tories. Therefore, with that view in mind, the 
start for Philadelphia was made over the Southern 
Pacific, in the spring of 1882. When near Tucson, 
in Arizona, trouble with the engine occurred and 
the conductor notified the passengers that it would 
take at least two hours to make repairs. Our 
friend roamed off to an army post in a village. 
While standing with his back to a picket fence, he 



noticed an Indian marching along the street or lane, 
in all the glory of blankets and feathers. He came 
up, walking grandly as though he owned the whole 
country. It was noticed that he was followed by 
two squaws bearing immense loads that caused 
their little legs to bend under the weight. That was 
disgusting, and naturally the call was made to place 
some of the plunder on his own free back. When 
the Indian heard the order he grasped a long knife 
out of his belt and springing at the speaker, raised 
it aloft to a position directly over the left breast. 
There was no chance to escape with back to the 
fence, and being unarmed, his chance seemed des- 
perate. At that instant a commanding voice in the 
Indian dialect was heard coming from a cross lane, 
which caused the holder of the knife to bring it 
down in a hesitating manner to his side with a scowl 
that was demoniacal. Immediately the officer sprang 
forward and demanded to know what was said to 
the Indian. He was told. The reply was : **You 
are a d — m fool ; that is the most insulting talk you 
can give an Indian, to take a load off a squaw's back 
and place it on his own." All this took place with- 
in a few seconds. If the officer had not been on 
hand, the knife would have descended to the death 
of our friend. The officer informed that the Indian 
was a famous chief who had been captured by the 
army after he had slaughtered hundreds of the set- 
tlers. He had the liberty of the army post but was 



112 



not allowed outside of the guards. He should have 
been planted six feet under ground when captured. 
This would have made him a good Indian, according 
to Western ideas. 

On arriving in Philadelphia, the manufactories 
were inspected to gain points concerning the arti- 
cle that our friend was interested in. 

Then a trip was made to New York. When the 
lad left that city, twenty years before, it was a 
village compared to what it was at this time. When 
he left, the Astor House was the best hotel and the 
most prominent building in the lower part of the 
city, and to that place his footsteps were directed. 
Perplexity resulted from observing the Post Office 
and the lofty buildings on Park Row. He did not 
know where he was and walked up and down on 
Broadway several times in search of the Astor 
House. Not finding the large building that was in 
his memory, he asked a police officer to point it out. 
"You are standing right in front of it," was his 
answer. Disgusted with its mean appearance, our 
friend entered and put up for the night. 

Everything had changed, including the customs 
of the people and on the whole our friend was disap- 
pointed. A visit was made to the one who manu- 
factured the article, the agency for which he thought 
he had controlled years before. The business was 
found to be in a demoralized condition. Incapacity 
of management was noticeable. On meeting with 



113 



the proprietor confidences were exchanged and after 
a few days, hints of a possible change of base of our 
friend from the West to the East were given, 
although nothing definite was decided upon. 

Soon after reaching San Francisco a letter was 
received offering a position in the manufacturing 
business. The salary was stated and it was left 
to our friend to accept or not. It is hard to form 
an idea why after a few days, an answer was sent 
accepting the proposition. The amount offered was 
less than was drawn out of his business, which was 
in a flourishing condition. To give up an indepen- 
dent, growing trade, to accept a position under a 
salary, seems even now to have been foolish; but 
otherwise the case presented to our friend was that 
there appeared to be a future in the new departure. 
In its present working it was small. It was han- 
dled contrary to all business principles. Also the 
factory help, as well as the office force, was perme- 
ated with dishonesty. Our friend saw all this, and 
his natural combative disposition was aroused and 
he determined to correct and place the business on a 
plane which it deserved. 

Therefore, he went to his partner and told him 
it was a case of buying or selling; that he must buy 
out the interests of our friend or allow him to buy. 
After some delay, the partner decided to buy on the 
very favorable terms offered, which was for a small 
amount of cash and notes payable in installments 



114 

for a long term of years. It might be stated that the 
cash was paid over and three or four notes when 
due. The partner was no business man and allowed 
the trade to slip through his hands, causing him to 
fail, leaving the major part of the notes unpaid. 

After cleaning up in San Francisco, a Panama 
steamer was taken for the East. The Panama 
Steamship Company at the time had a secret agree- 
ment with the railroad companies to discourage 
passenger traffic over the ship route, they receiving 
a large amount of money in lieu of the trade. This 
fact was not known, however, by our friend, who 
would not have engaged passage had he known of 
it. He found the ship badly provisioned and most 
articles ran out before reaching Panama. It was 
intensely hot and the ice gave out before getting as 
far south as Cape St. Lucas. When reaching Pana- 
ma, a few hours elapsed before the train could be 
taken for Colon across the Isthmus. Entering the 
hotel for lunch, the tables were found loaded with 
big joints of meat and swarming around were im- 
mense numbers of flies, disputing with the guests 
every mouthful of food that entered their mouths. 
The French were digging the canal at the time 
(1882), and the officers occupied the tables, eating 
that heavy food, washing it down at first with wine 
ordinary then with heavy Burgundy, and topping 
off with brandy. Considering the climate, such food 
was entirely out of place. Our friend lost what 



IIS 



little appetite he had and got up from the table be- 
fore being served. He went out on the piazza. 
Soon one of the Frenchmen came out and sat along- 
side of him. He began to talk, asking if our friend 
was a new arrival. Our friend expressed surprise 
at the guests eating such heavy food. The French- 
man, who was mellow with drink, replied that "they 
did not expect to live over six months and were 
determined to live well while they did live." Our 
friend asked when the canal would be finished. The 
reply was: "Nev-ah! the control of the Chagres 
River has not been placed on the trestle board and 
that could never be overcome." 

After the Frenchman left, the proprietor of the 
hotel was asked the name of the stranger. He gave it 
and stated that he was the head engineer of the 
western division. That did not show much confi- 
dence in the ultimate resuUs. 

The cars started across the Isthmus, going not 
over eight miles an hour, passing six engines that had 
toppled off the track. If any of the rolling stock got 
ofif the metals, it was allowed to rest there. No 
endeavor to replace was made. In fact the whole 
affair seemed to be a joke. A good healthy hen, if 
it had scratched over the line of canal would have 
produced about as much effect. 

After this visit, and with knowledge of the various 
surveys made for many years back, for a waterway 
between the two oceans, our friend became firm in 



ii6 

his opinion that the Panama route was the worst 
that could have been selected. The Nicaragua loca- 
tion was far preferable. The experts, in their final 
report, when the Americans took hold, stated that 
the Nicaragua passage would cost five millions more 
than the Panama ; but that was based on a cost that 
has already been exceeded by an astounding figure 
and the end is still far in the distance. We wanted 
to get communication between our East and West 
coasts and should not have gone many hundreds of 
miles to the southard. Another objection that did 
not receive attention was the fact that Panama lies 
in the doldrums, a region that is liable to weeks of 
calms, and for a sailing vessel to be placed in such 
a position will be disastrous. But it will be said the 
sailing vessels are obsolete. That is not the case, 
for with the rising price of coal and the increasing 
cost of engineers and firemen, there will be a new 
era of sailing craft that can be run at a tithe of the 
cost of steamers. The additional time taken in pas- 
sage will cut a small figure on bulky freight along- 
side of the additional rates in steam bottoms. There 
would be no difficulty on the Atlantic or Pacific re- 
garding wind if the Nicaragua route had been 
selected. 

In due time the steamer arrived in New York 
harbor, from Colon, and our friend was soon har- 
nessed up to his new duties. He found the business 
in a worse condition than he anticipated. The patent 



117 



on which the trade depended would run out in three 
years. Nothing was thought out and nothing done 
for the future. There was only a small putting- 
together shop for the material, purchased from out- 
side manufacturers. This condition was aggravated 
by a disloyal, dishonest office force, in connection 
with a factory force without discipline and in some 
cases dishonest also. It was a tough position to be 
thrown in; but with a spirit of determination he 
buckled down to the job. In time the factory was 
under complete discipline and as soon as possible 
the dishonest characters were rooted out; but the 
principal trouble came from the office. It continued 
to purchase materials at exorbitant prices and threw 
every obstacle possible in the way of conducting 
business properly. 

Why these men were kept on after proof of their 
dishonesty was known, was beyond the ken of our 
friend ; but the fact remains, that they kept him in hot 
water for three years. Meanwhile, things were be- 
ginning to happen. The costs of material were being 
reduced immensely through the personal endeavors 
of our friend, against the clamor of the office. Build- 
ings were started for more room and machinery in- 
stalled to produce the work economically. The in- 
ventive genius of our friend was exercised in the 
product of patents that staggered the imitators who 
sprang up rapidly to take advantage of the lapsed 
original patent. A trademark was adopted and sys- 



ii8 

tematic advertising conducted. The goodwill of the 
trade was inculcated. This goodwill had been sorely 
strained by the dogmatic methods of the previous 
force, and when they had been gotten rid of, our 
friend collected around him one of the finest body of 
honest men that ever got together in the interest of 
any business. It is the firm opinion of our friend 
that if he had not appeared on the scene when he did, 
the business would have gone to the dogs ; for in- 
capacity was in the saddle and could not have held 
the trade in a competitive market. The plant was 
in no condition for a fight and there was no one 
with sufficient talent to improve the works to the 
extent necessary. Every day of the previous ex- 
perience had been preparing our friend for this 
ordeal. He had studied humanity under all condi- 
tions, and had come out schooled in the ways of men. 
He succeeded because he had learned how. Several 
times when subjected to the irritating interferences 
of the old gang, he thought of giving up the fight, but 
after consideration, he made up his mind that this 
action would be cowardly. 



CHAPTER XVIII. 

It can be imagined that the strife and turmoil con- 
tinued for many years had not improved our friend 
physically. He needed a rest. He sorely missed 
the fishing and hunting expeditions indulged in dur- 
ing his stay on the Western Coast. It had been a 
continual grind for over thirteen years without any 
intermission. Also the export trade needed looking 
up. It was a negligible quantity as yet, but there 
were indications that an improvement could be made. 

Therefore, passage was engaged on the Hamburg- 
American steamer Fnrst Bismarck in May, 1895. 
for Europe. This was the fastest boat at that time 
on the ocean. It was a stormy passage. The ex- 
treme speed of the vessel while plunging in the 
heavy seas made the many passengers wish they 
were ashore, but our friend enjoyed the experience. 
It put him in mind of old times. He was on deck 
most of the time viewing the tossing waters with 
great pleasure. All his clothing got full of salt 
brine that did not improve them much. The spoon 
drift at times dashed up, descending in the smoke 
stacks. It was lively and grand. One day at lunch 
there were only three in the dining hall. One was 
the captain and one a fellow passenger with our 
friend. An article of food when started for the 
mouth was liable to come in contact with the ear or 
some other part of the anatomy. It was rough. An 



120 

officer came down and whispered to the captain 
who immediately got up and went on deck. Shortly 
after he left the vessel was going along easily and 
we finished our meal in comfort. On reaching the 
deck, our friend found the reason for slowing down 
the steamer. She had struck a mighty wave that 
had stove in the forward cabins, flooding them and 
twisting the heavy boat davits on the port side as 
though they were made of putty. This and other 
experiences on steamers caused our friend to form 
the opinion that no vessel should be driven through 
seas at a speed of over sixteen knots. In fact, if 
passengers want comfort, thirteen or fourteen knots 
should not be exceeded. 

One night on the passage when our friend was 
sleeping in his cabin, he was awakened by a crash 
and grating sound. The ladies occupying the sur- 
rounding cabins began to cry out that the ship was 
lost and kept up the hubbub until our friend got out 
of patience. He exclaimed : ''Keep quiet ! go to 
sleep" for that was what he wanted to do, well 
knowing that if any serious damage had been re- 
ceived, the stewards would have notified the pas- 
sengers. But no, they continued their noisy excla- 
mations, preventing slumber, so he dressed and 
went out on deck. He found that a French boat 
loaded with sugar from the West Indies had got out 
of her reckoning and was lying to with no lights out, 
in the path of ocean steamers. Our vessel coming 



along at twenty-two knots an hour had cut off her 
bowsprit close up to the craft. Her flying jibboom 
had gone through a port hole over a sleeping pas- 
senger, who sprang out of his berth in consterna- 
tion, exclaiming that he was killed. The steamer 
immediately stopped and waited in the black night 
for the dawn to reveal the action necessary. In the 
early morning, before objects could be seen defi- 
nitely, our friend while leaning over the rail, saw 
the vessel like a mere shadow away off in the dis- 
tance. The mate came up at that instant and also 
looked intently at the shadowy object. Our friend 
remarked that the craft had lost her foretopmast. 
Afterwards, when light had come, and the vessel 
was plainly seen without her upper spar, the mate 
came again and remarked, *'How could you tell in 
the darkness that the mast was carried away?" The 
reply was that the carrying away of the bowsprit 
would cause the loss of the headstays, and then the 
spar would inevitably break off in the heavy sea, 
for there was nothing to support it. The mate 
could not follow for he was a steamer sailor and 
knew nothing about sailing craft. 

A boat was lowered and pulled to the bark. The 
German sailors sounded the pumps and found the 
craft did not make any water, that she was sound 
and as good as ever. On returning with the report, 
they also brought the demand of the French cap- 
tain and crew that they wanted to be taken off ; 



122 



that they wanted to give up the ship. They were 
evidently scared. Therefore, German volunteers 
were sent aboard and the French crew were taken 
aboard the steamer. It was amusing to see the 
transfer of provisions, for the Germans could not 
use the provisions of the Frenchmen, who also 
would not feed on stores of the sauerkrauters. The 
z'in ordinaire, bread, etc., of the French boat came 
aboard and sausages, etc., of the Germans went out 
in return. It was a cowardly surrender of a vessel 
and its cargo. The steamer waited until the Ger- 
man crew rigged out a spar for the bowsprit, and 
then sailed away with a big amount of salvage in 
view. 

The first visit was made to study up the require- 
ments of the different countries. Much information 
was gathered and after two more trips abroad, good 
agents were appointed, which increased the busi- 
ness very materially. Since then a voyage was 
made every year to Europe, making up to the 
present time (1911) sixteen round trips, or thirty- 
two single trips across the Atlantic. The advan- 
tage to the business has been incalculable. The 
thorough knowledge of the different peoples in 
France, Germany, Switzerland, Austria-Hungary, 
Italy, Spain, Turkey, Belgium, Roumania, Russia, 
Denmark, Finland, Norway, Sweden, England, 
Ireland and Scotland, has been very useful. Their 
architecture was thoroughly studied and a knowl- 

^ KD-94 i 



123 

edge of their capacity to assimilate the goods was 
noted. 

The Americans have much to learn from the old 
countries. While they have been ultra conservative 
in many ways, kept back by absurd religious dog- 
mas and beliefs, their methods in many other ways 
are praiseworthy. The politeness is always agreea- 
bly noticed. The curtness and in some cases, the in- 
civility of the Americans, could be changed to the 
European standards with great benefit. 

The hardships at times of European travel, the 
contretemps arising principally from not having a 
working knowledge of the different tongues, and 
the irksomeness created through the red tape of 
officialdom, had better be left to those who have 
experienced, or to those who will in future travel 
the road to experience, so they will be left out of 
this narrative. 

There is a type of annoyance, however, that our 
friend has noticed all over Europe, principally 
caused, he believes, from government ownership; 
that is, flat wheels on steam cars formed by the 
brakes wearing the wheels off from the round. In 
some cases he has found the wheels almost octa- 
gon in shape. The passage of such over the rails 
causes a thumpity-thump motion that is exquisite 
torture. Why the authorities allow them to re- 
main smashing down the roadbed, is beyond the ken 
of anybody except a government official. On one 



124 

journey from Trieste to Budapest which occupied 
twelve hours of intensely hot weather, these flat 
wheels were in evidence. They got on his nerves. 
They were enough to change a Christian into a 
cannibal. While sweltering in the heat and cov- 
ered with thick dust, he determined to do some- 
thing desperate when he arrived in the hotel. There- 
fore, after a bath and a good dinner, he, like Silas 
Wegg, dropped into poetry and produced the fol- 
lowing atrocity: 



Creeping out the bahnhof, clean and gay, 

Passing houses, rear in view, 
Away from man's laborious day, 

Into the glorious country, 
Wheel flat on the right, wheel flat on the left. 

We went pound, pounding on the rail. 
Past villages, red tiled in the vale, 

Villas on the steeps, 
Thump, thumping on the rail. 

What ho ! man striking a woman, 
Rock intervening? No, only kissing of her. 

Throb, throbbing on the rail. 
Past mountains high, valleys deep. 

Bump, bumping on the rail. 
Into the bahnhof gliding, weary, dirty, happy, 

No more to hear hump, humping on the rail. 

As poetry it is abominable ; but no worse than 
he felt while being tortured. So please accept it 
in lieu of profanity, which would be natural under 
the circumstances. 



The End. 



